In what is a troubled time in the story of immigration in America - for the Irish and all others - the
Ancient Order of Hibernians has endorsed “A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate,” a joint initiative by Catholic and evangelical leaders urging humane enforcement, family unity, and clear legal pathways.
Building on discussions with Bishop Brendan Cahill at its Omaha convention, the nation’s oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization said that it backs the ecumenical effort to ground immigration reform in the rule of law and human dignity.
AOH National President Sean Pender and Dan Dennehy, AOH National Immigration Chair, issued a statement of support.
The two stated: “On behalf of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America, we welcome and wholeheartedly endorse this statement from Bishop Brendan Cahill and Reverend Walter Kim.
"This summer, our AOH National President Sean Pender and National Immigration Chair Dan Dennehy started a dialogue with Bishop Cahill that became a centerpiece of our National Convention in Omaha and our National Immigration Policy Paper. We have seen firsthand the depth of pastoral concern he brings to this issue.
"This statement is the product of the Evangelical-Catholic Dialogue on Immigration, launched in March 2026 as a joint initiative of the USCCB and the National Association of Evangelicals. What the ECDI represents (Catholic and evangelical leaders coming together in prayer, reflection, and Christian fraternity to discern a shared response to immigration) is exactly the kind of unity our own membership has called for. At a moment of deep political and social division, especially around this issue, the ECDI offers something our country badly needs: a model of civil discourse grounded in faith rather than division.
"The most eye-opening figure in this statement is this: roughly one in twelve believers in this country either faces the loss of legal status themselves or shares a home with someone who does. That is not a statistic about strangers. That is our fellow parishioners, our neighbors, our fellow Hibernians.
"As an organization founded by Irish immigrants fleeing hardship, and one that continues to support Irish immigration centers and families navigating an increasingly difficult system today, we recognize all too well the human cost when enforcement is pursued without regard for family unity, due process, or basic compassion.
We are especially grateful that the bishops and evangelical leaders did not simply name the problem but pointed to a better way forward: immigration enforcement that is targeted, proportionate, and humane; family unity protected and due process respected; detention of children and families strictly limited, with real access to legal counsel and chaplaincy; and legal pathways that are safe, reliable, and actually within reach. These are not partisan asks. They are the minimum a nation that calls itself civilized owes to the families within its borders.
This history is personal for our organization. It was at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, in 1965, that President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act, legislation that, however well-intentioned, effectively shut the door on legal immigration from Ireland for the first time in our nation’s history.
"For nearly sixty years now, the Ancient Order of Hibernians has worked to remedy that closed door, and we see in today’s statement a renewed opportunity to continue that work alongside our Catholic and evangelical brothers and sisters."
Pender and Dennehy concluded: "It is fitting that this statement arrives as our country marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and that it invokes the words inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty, the very statue that greeted our own Irish ancestors as they arrived on these shores seeking nothing more than the chance to work, worship, and raise their families in peace. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ is not a relic of the past. It is a standing promise, and it is one the Ancient Order of Hibernians intends to help keep.
"We stand ready to support this message and to continue our own advocacy through our Policy Paper, our outreach to Irish immigration centers nationwide, and our ongoing work with elected officials for an immigration system that reflects both the rule of law and the dignity of every family it touches.
"We urge our members and all people of goodwill to read this statement in full, and to join us in calling for compassion and wisdom to guide this debate going forward.”
