Much has been written and said, of late, about the Catholic Church’s ministry to the newly arrived in the United States. Sadly, much of the public discourse around this core expression of our Catholic faith is inaccurate.

Many of these conversations have been sparked by the Trump administration’s initiative to freeze federal funding, which raised urgent questions among organizations across the country about how the action would affect them and the people they serve. Similarly, President Donald Trump’s executive order to end automatic citizenship for babies born in America sparked impassioned debate about whether the measure would be or could be enacted given the constitutional provision that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States … are citizens of the United States.”

To that end, we are writing to address the inaccurate and unsupported claim that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) profits financially from its immigration efforts, as initially claimed by Vice President JD Vance. These claims, which the USCCB refuted in a statement, lead to confusion among the faithful and undermine this critical, core ministry.

The reality is that the federal funds the USCCB receives to help resettle immigrants do not fully cover the cost of the services we provide, which saves American taxpayers millions of dollars annually. To deliver the loving care our brothers and sisters deserve, we rely on the generous charitable giving of those who support this important work.

Catholic social teaching, which is founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ and built on a commitment to the poor and the strangers among us, guides this work and animates those individuals who financially support it. Catholic social teaching includes three principles on immigration:

First: People have the right to migrate and sustain their lives and the lives of their families.

Second: A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control immigration.

Third (and final): A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

The Church — through the work of Catholic Charities (the largest private provider of social services in Maryland), parishes and other institutions — pursues and promotes all of these principles, allowing us to give sacrificially to help our sisters and brothers striving to live meaningful lives safe from harm in a country we love for its freedom and opportunities. The Church also believes in and supports the efforts of nations to regulate borders and control immigration, provided it is done in a way that is both just and merciful.

Nothing is more compelling for the Church and its ministries of charity and justice than to serve and love all our brothers and sisters, regardless of where they were born. Within every person — each and every one of us made in God’s image — is the spark of the divine. In all things, our motive is the same: love of God and love of neighbor.

William E. Lori is the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. William McCarthy is the executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore.