Honoring Pope Francis: Champion for Migrants and Refugees

On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, passed away at 88. For the world, he was a moral voice in turbulent times. For many advocates of immigrant rights, his steadfast defense of migrants offered vital clarity, especially in a time when too many global leaders have chosen to scapegoat or abandon migrants for perceived political expediency.

In 2013, just weeks into his papacy, Pope Francis visited the island of Lampedusa, Italy. He witnessed the devastation of the wreckage of migrant boats and spoke plainly:

“Where is your brother?” His blood cries out to me, says the Lord.

This is not a question directed to others; it is a question directed to me, to you, to each of us.

These brothers and sisters of ours were trying to escape difficult situations to find some serenity and peace; they were looking for a better place for themselves and their families, but instead they found death.

Pope Francis never stopped defending those on the margins. In his message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, he provided a simple roadmap: “Welcome, protect, promote, and integrate.” These weren’t just abstract principles—they were and remain a call to action.

Carrying the Mission Forward

Pope Francis met with refugees, fiercely criticized dehumanizing border policies, and challenged leaders to move from fear to fraternity. In his Easter message delivered the day before he passed, he criticized the contempt “stirred up at times toward the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.”

As the world remembers and mourns Pope Francis, leaders and immigration advocates should reflect on the values he demanded we live:  Welcome. Protect. Promote. Integrate.

Thank you, Pope Francis, for never forgetting or abandoning immigrants. Thank you for never putting their rights on the back burner to focus on easier or less controversial issues.  May the world hear and act on your message.

Rest in peace, Pope Francis.