Bishop Evelio Menjivar Ayala

Now an American citizen, Bishop Evelio Menjivar Ayala came to the U.S.

as an asylum seeker, and his resume is unlike many others.

In addition to his master's in theology and his work as the Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, he also did janitorial work, construction, and painting.

And he says, That helped me to understand labor, hard labor, to learn to work hard.

Menjivar has openly criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies and demonstrated against mass deportations, emphasizing the need to uphold human dignity.

Last fall, the U.S.

Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement opposing the administration's immigration tactics, including what they called the vilification of immigrants.

Sarah Ventry, NPR News.

This is NPR.