Kate Scanlon

A federal judge July 25 blocked the Biden administration's rule permitting immigration authorities to deny asylum to migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking asylum protections in a different country.

The Justice Department on July 24 sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over a floating barrier recently installed on the Rio Grande, part of the Republican governor's latest attempts to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico as part of his "Operation Lone Star" program.

Catholic migrant advocates condemned a report alleging inhumane treatment of migrants seeking to cross the border into Texas, including an allegation that the state directed its personnel to withhold water from migrants despite extreme heat.

The United States endured a record number of mass killings in the first half of 2023, according to a new analysis. The report came in tandem with news that at least four people were killed in a mass shooting in Hampton, Georgia, south of Atlanta, on July 15.

A bill to ban the use of capital punishment by the federal government was reintroduced in Congress, where it faces steep odds for passage.

The Food and Drug Administration announced July 13 it had approved the sale of a birth control pill without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a move that will increase the availability of oral contraception and impact ongoing debates about abortion policy.

The U.S. bishops July 10 praised a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that it would expand family reunification processes for some migrants.

The Supreme Court on June 29 struck down race-conscious admissions programs at two prominent U.S. universities, in a landmark decision overturning previous precedent supported by many Catholic universities and colleges.

Catholic bishops in Florida urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of a death-row prisoner as the governor embarks on a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

As U.S. lawmakers considered a bill to address the looming debt ceiling, Catholic and other Christian activists gathered at Georgetown University to discuss how a nation's budget is a moral document detailing its priorities, advocating care for the poor and vulnerable should rank high on that list.

The House of Representatives on May 31 approved a compromise bill brokered by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, just days before a deadline to address the debt ceiling or risk a U.S. government default.

As Title 42 drew to its scheduled close May 11, Catholic immigration advocates called for public policy on immigration that recognizes the humanity of migrants and asylum-seekers.

Dallas Bishop Edward Burns addressed the faithful of the diocese "with a heavy heart" late May 6 after at least eight people, including a child, were killed during a mass shooting that afternoon at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas.

The Biden administration announced April 27 new steps it would take in an effort to reduce migrant arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border when Title 42 expires in May.

President Joe Biden announced April 25 that he will seek a second term in the White House. Biden, a Democrat, is the nation's second Catholic president, but his reelection would make him the first Catholic to serve twice in the Oval Office.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill April 20 that will eliminate the state's requirement that juries in capital punishment cases agree unanimously to recommend death sentences, lowering the number of jurors needed to hand down a death sentence to the lowest threshold of any U.S. state.

The U.S. Supreme Court said April 14 it would temporarily keep in place federal regulations regarding the use of an abortion drug, giving the court additional time to consider a lower court's ruling to stay the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-La., called for an end to the death penalty in Louisiana during his final State of the State address, April 10, in an impassioned call for lawmakers to adopt legislative proposals reflecting its identity as a "pro-life state."

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed in March the first federal limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water, a move the Biden administration said will save thousands of lives and prevent some serious illnesses attributed to exposure to these chemicals over time.

President Joe Biden announced March 14 he would sign an executive order aiming to increase the number of background checks on prospective gun buyers, as well as measures to promote red flag laws and the secure storage of firearms.