text: Is it true that the Catholic church has always been immigrant-friendly?
  
  It's not true.    Spain expelled its Jews in the 1400s, and discriminated against protestants and other religions during the Franco years.   Then there were the Crusades.   And slavery.   
  
  In brief, history shows us that the Church was a reluctant opponent of slavery; protestant abolitionists were the vanguard of the anti slavery movement, while the Church stood on the sidelines during the Civil War.   
  
  The Church has only been pro-immigrant when it suited is aims.   During the 1800s, the Church was all for the immigration of European Catholics to America.   The reason why is the same reason for why the Church today is pro immigration from Latino countries.   In a word, power.   
  
  Large scale immigration in the 1800s led to Catholicism going from a very marginal and hated religion, to the U.S.'s largest and most powerful religion.   
  
  The bishops know the awesome political power of immigration.