December 22, 2025

Catholic Charities Victory at Wisconsin Supreme Court

Catholic Charities Bureau and all of its sub-entities can now participate in the Church Unemployment Pay Program (CUPP), which is the Wisconsin Catholic bishops’ unemployment program. CUPP provides unemployment benefits that the U.S. Supreme Court recognized are “largely equivalent to the state system.”

Wisconsin Bishops’ Statement on Immigration

On Thursday, December 18, the Catholic bishops of Wisconsin released the following statement on federal immigration enforcement:

We, the bishops of Wisconsin, reaffirm the recent special message by the United States bishops regarding ongoing federal immigration enforcement. Immigration is a profoundly complex issue. On the one hand, the Catholic Church naturally upholds a country’s right to maintain its borders and regulate its entry and citizenship processes. We saw the chaos that ensued when the previous administration was not vigilant in its regulation of the United States’ southern border. On the other hand, the Catholic Church urges countries and peoples to compassionately assist our brothers and sisters who emigrate because of war, violence, poverty, and hunger. We can embrace these two principles in unity. There is no inherent contradiction in upholding human dignity, the common good, and the rule of law.

We must acknowledge that the recent federal immigration enforcement has achieved some beneficial outcomes—violent criminals and drug dealers have been deported, and child trafficking rings have been discovered and broken up. No one would disagree that these achievements are just and necessary. But even good goals must be achieved in a way that is just, prudent, and proportionate.

We must also voice our strong concern regarding the indiscriminate nature of the current federal immigration enforcement. U.S. citizens are being racially profiled. Immigrants are vilified, denied pastoral care, detained in poor conditions, and parents and children are being separated. Immigrants who abided by all the rules of the legal immigration process have lost their legal status arbitrarily. We see this dynamic especially in the experience of those who sought and received political asylum in the United States.

We urge our national leaders to fix our profoundly broken immigration system. This needed legislation must be an urgent priority and would help resolve much of the current crisis. We also urge an equitable and humane enforcement of federal immigration laws and processes, respecting human dignity and the importance of compassion.

In February 2025, the Wisconsin bishops also released a pastoral letter on immigration, read here.

WCC Office Closed for Christmas

Action at the Capitol

Task Force on Missing and Murdered African American Women and Girls ▲ Testified in Support
SB 404 (Jesse James, R-Thorp) / AB 392 (Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison)
This bill creates a Task Force to examine various factors that contribute to violence against African American women and girls in Wisconsin. In 2020, Wisconsin had the highest homicide rate for African American women and girls in the United States, 20.2 per 100,000 women. The WCC supports this effort to shed light on the causes of and solutions to this violence to uphold the life and dignity of every human person in Wisconsin.
Status: Since the public hearing, the Senate committee has taken no further action.

Abortion Definition ▲ Testified in support
SB 553 (Romaine Quinn, R-Birchwood) / AB 546 (Joy Goeben, R-Hobart)
The bill amends the various statutory definitions of abortion to make explicit that a physician’s performance of a medical procedure or treatment designed or intended to prevent the death of a pregnant woman and not designed or intended to kill the unborn child is not an abortion. This includes an early induction or cesarean section performed due to a medical emergency, or the removal of a miscarried or stillborn child, or an ectopic, anembryonic, or molar pregnancy.
Status: The bill passed the Senate. Since the public hearing, the Assembly committee has taken no further action.

IVF Tax Credit ▼ Registered in opposition
SB 687 (Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green) / AB 702 (Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek)
This bill creates a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $5,000 for certain in-vitro fertilization (IVF) expenses for individuals making less than $100,000. While the desire to have a family and rear children is a profound good, the Church teaches that IVF is immoral. Among other things, IVF destroys life by discarding unused embryos, attempts to create human beings in a lab, and separates procreation from the marital act. The Church also affirms that every child, regardless of the circumstances of their conception, is a gift from God and has inherent worth and dignity. The Church supports restorative reproductive medicine which seeks to address the underlying issues of infertility and assist couples struggling to conceive in an ethical manner.
Status: The bills await public hearings.

Home Visit Funding ▲ Registered in support
SB 701 (Jesse James, R-Thorp) / AB 711 (Pat Snyder, R-Weston)
The bill provides funding for the Family Foundations program to provide grants for home visitation services for parents who are eligible for Medical Assistance and who are assessed to be at risk of poor birth outcomes, abuse, or neglect. The WCC supports the bill to protect and provide families with the resources they need to thrive.
Status: The bills await public hearings.

Groundwater Standards ▲ Registered in support
SB 628 (Jesse James, R-Thorp) / AB 635 (Jill Billings, D-La Crosse)
The bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to notify county and tribal health departments and county land and conservation departments if there has been an exceedance of groundwater standards or of any standard for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance (commonly known as PFAS). The WCC supports this effort to support clean water for Wisconsin communities.
Status: Since the public hearing, the Senate committee has taken no further action.

Updates from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

• “I Promise Our Prayers and Our Solidarity at This Difficult Moment,” Says USCCB President Archbishop Coakley
• “May We Recognize the Rich Gifts That Neighbors from Diverse Cultures Bring to Our Communities” Says Bishop Garcia
• USCCB, Catholic Charities USA, and Catholic Legal Immigration Letter Submit Joint Letter Opposing DHS Decision to End the Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization for Migrants
• USCCB Action Alert: Protect Endangered Species and Their Habitats

To take action on the USCCB’s current federal action alerts, click here.

Legislative Resources

Find the WCC’s session priorities, legislative committees, contact info for your legislators, and more.