Escalating their attack on the Trump administration’s deportation policies and proposed cuts to Medicaid funding, twenty U.S. Catholic bishops signed on to an interfaith effort last week in an attempt to stop the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Calling it a “moral failure” of the Trump administration if the proposed legislation passes, the Catholic bishops were joined by an additional 20 progressive faith leaders of several faith traditions in their effort to encourage senators to reject the Act.

Organized by Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico — the harshest critic of the Trump Administration — the archbishop’s letter to the senators decried the “tens of billions of dollars to the government to undertake a mass deportation campaign which will separate U.S. families, harm U.S. citizens and immigrant children and sow chaos in local communities.”

Finding no consensus on immigration, the archbishop and the 40 faith leaders also criticized the funding allocated for a border wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. They argue that such measures will force migrants into more remote areas of the border, potentially leading to an increase in migrant fatalities. And they added that the wall would “hurt the local environment along the border and force desperate asylum seekers seeking safety to increasingly rely on human smugglers.”

Claiming in an interview with reporters from Our Sunday Visitor that the proposed legislation is “violating our Catholic social teaching in terms of a preferential option for the poor, welcoming the stranger in our midst, the common good, subsidiarity,” Archbishop Wester emphasized the moral imperative for compassion and justice. Despite the urgency of their collective plea, there seemed to be little hope for common ground.

However, on Sunday, President Trump opened the door to conversations about the possibility of a new immigration reform plan that could facilitate more productive discussions that could be more aligned with the concerns of the Catholic bishops. Moving beyond the harsh rhetoric of the past would be a start, as the Trump administration agrees with the bishops that the goal is a fair and humane immigration policy that meets the needs of the United States — and respects the dignity of every individual.

The proposed plan would allow a kind of “guest worker” program in which employers of undocumented workers would be “responsible” for their workers. Reminiscent of the Bracero program — first implemented during World War II in 1942 when a shortage of agricultural workers threatened the country’s farms — President Trump hinted at a similar kind of program in which undocumented workers would be allowed to stay in the country on a kind of temporary guest worker pass. Although these workers would not qualify for citizenship, they would be able to work and enjoy a productive life in this country.

Vice President JD Vance understands the concerns of the Catholic bishops and recently noted in a conversation with a New York Times reporter that although Catholic teachings acknowledge the right of a country to enforce its border, the administration must be mindful of the dignity of migrants. Vance suggested that “You have to be able to hold two ideas in your head at the same time … we have obligations to people who in some ways are fleeing violence or at least fleeing poverty … I also have a very sacred obligation to enforce the laws and to promote the common good of my own country, defined as the people with the legal right to be here.”

The term “bracero” derives from the Spanish word “brazo,” meaning “arm,” symbolizing the labor-intensive work performed by the program’s participants. The program — which remained in place for over two decades, ending in 1964 — operated under strict regulations and contracts overseen by both the United States and Mexico. Laborers were given assurances of adequate wages, housing, and working conditions.

It appears that President Trump is considering broadening the Bracero program by offering a temporary pass for undocumented immigrants working on farms and in hotels, and even meatpacking facilities — all industries that rely on immigrant labor. In an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, he told Maria Bartiromo that the pass would “let the farmer be in charge of who works for them and ensure those migrant workers pay taxes.”

It is uncertain whether the Catholic bishops will agree to come to the table to help build and refine such a program. But this could be a promising first step toward ending the contentiousness in this relationship.

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Anne Hendershott is a professor of sociology and director of the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.