Iowa Catholic Conference Newsletter, July 4, 2026

Court blocks executive order on birthright citizenship

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on June 30 blocking President Trump’s executive order which attempted to limit birthright citizenship. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had submitted an amicus brief in support of birthright citizenship.

The Court also upheld two states’ laws which prohibited males from competing in women’s sports.

Take action to protect women and babies from abortion pills

The USCCB is encouraging you to sign up for “Respect Life Prayer and Action” to protect women and babies from abortion pills. You will receive facts and resources about abortion pills to share with your community, action alerts to government leaders and pharmacies to help stop the spread of abortion pills, and more.

Iowa’s new law requiring abortion pills to be provided in person has gone into effect.

Federal court blocks Iowa’s SNAP food restrictions

On June 22, a federal district court ruled in Aragon v. Rollins that USDA exceeded its legal authority when it approved SNAP food restriction waivers in Iowa, Colorado, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. An appeal is still possible.

According to the Iowa Hunger Coalition, the number of Iowans enrolled in a federal food assistance program has dropped by nearly 25,000 since before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law a year ago.

John Boller, board chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition and executive director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry, said with fewer people receiving public assistance, the number of people relying on food pantries has climbed. He said lower enrollment stems from a combination of people losing eligibility for the program and others not enrolling due to greater administrative burdens from the law.

Along with neighboring states Wisconsin, South Dakota and Nebraska, Iowa is one of nine states that will not have to pay a portion of SNAP benefits because its SNAP payment error rate is less than 6%. SNAP is typically paid for by the federal government.

We cannot turn a blind eye to injustice, says Bishop Cahill

Late last month, the Administration ultimately prevailed in a court challenge to its decision to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haiti and Syria. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response: 

“Revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people residing in our country creates a moral crisis when returning to their country of origin is not a safe or reasonable option. If we are truly to affirm the God-given dignity of every human person, we as a nation cannot turn a blind eye to such an injustice and the impossible choices it will create for families and communities. 

“Even if the Administration determines TPS is no longer warranted, deferred enforced departure remains a tool available to the President, and we urge him to exercise right judgement in this way.”

The USCCB’s Committee on Migration has encouraged recent bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass legislation that would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend Haiti’s TPS designation.

And finally,

We hope you have a great Fourth of July!