CNA Deutsch, Dec 31, 2024 / 13:30 pm (CNA).
Two of Arizona’s Catholic bishops joined last week with a group of other Christian leaders in the state to express their “grave concern” over “the threat of mistreatment of undocumented persons who are our neighbors and contribute to our communities.”
“While we recognize the lawful right of nations to monitor and control their borders, we also recognize that in many ways our current U.S. immigration laws do not uphold individuals’ rights to a dignified life, family unity, and safety,” wrote a group of 10 Arizona Christian leaders in a Dec. 28 AZ Central column.
“[G]rounded by the demands of the gospel of Jesus Christ and love of our neighbors — our deeply held religious beliefs — we urge our elected officials and community leaders to stand with us to protect family unity and human dignity by refusing to participate in any deportation efforts that violate these most basic human rights.”
The signers of the op-ed included Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix and Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of Tucson as well as several other Christian leaders of various denominations.
Of “special concern,” the leaders wrote, are reports that President-elect Donald Trump plans to end a long-standing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy requiring ICE agents to seek their superior’s approval before arresting people at “sensitive locations” such as churches, hospitals, or schools.
The “sensitive locations” policy began in 2011 with a memo from then-ICE director John Morton, which precludes ICE agents from carrying out immigration enforcement actions in locations like hospitals, places of worship, schools, or during events such as weddings or parades unless there is an urgent need, such as a person who poses an imminent threat, or if the agents have sought higher approval to do so.
Unconfirmed reports suggest Trump plans to rescind the policy as soon as his first day in office, following recommendations put forth in the influential Project 2025 document, which says ICE should rely on “the good judgment of officers in the field to avoid inappropriate situations.”
The Arizona Christian leaders argued that raids at “sensitive locations” like churches would violate basic human rights, including religious freedom and the right to family unity, and undermine societal stability by discouraging undocumented immigrants from seeking essential services.
“While the practice of religion is a basic human right recognized by most international organizations, we note that for those living in America it is part of the very foundation upon which our nation was built,” the leaders wrote.
“We find it unacceptable that undocumented persons might be intimidated from going to a church and thereby exercising their right to the practice of religion. We also assert that the disruption of any religious gathering for deportation purposes is equally an assault on our own right to the free exercise of our religion.”
Further, the leaders wrote, law enforcement personnel — federal, state, or local — should “consider how their actions might be seen in the eyes of God,” and those who conscientiously object to deportation raids that they deem unjust ought to be respected and not forced to take part in them.
“We likewise reiterate the call to our nation’s federal legislature to create an immigration system that is fair, reasonable, and recognizes the human dignity of all persons,” the op-ed concludes.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as individual bishops and state bishops’ conferences, have spoken frequently to urge the government to reform the immigration system with “fair and humane treatment” of immigrants.
Trump, meanwhile, has frequently touted a planned program of mass deportations of illegal immigrants, a plan that bishops and other Catholic leaders have criticized as inhumane.
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Enforcing the law does not equate to “mistreatment” and these Bishops are being dishonest to suggest such a thing. These illegals are lawbreakers, many in fact are also violent criminals, Why do the Bishops seek to protect them over the interests and safety of American citizens??? Its an outright disgrace.We have poor and needy citizens of our own and cannot afford to import them from all over the world. Its apparent from the financial difficulty that many cities in the US have been facing ( including very large NYC) that this situation cannot go on indefinitely.
As for what Jesus would say, I seem to recall him suggesting that you render to caesar what belongs to caesar. Like obeying the law. Did the Bishops forget that part or does it just not fit their political narrative? I believe that if the Bishops attempt to turn their churches into hotels with food for illegals, they will soon find the donations from church members drying up.
Treating others with kindness as called for in Christianity, does not extend to allowing non-citizens to break into your country and potentially harm or kill your own people.
Trump wants mass deportations. Was he speaking “ex cathedra” when he said this?
Lots of people want mass deportation. If that wasn’t the case, Harris would have been elected. The United States is not the world’s dumpster.
The United States isn’t a dumpster and the people who come here illegally or to request asylum aren’t garbage.
Calling certain populations garbage was one way the Democrats lost votes in November. Trump voters aren’t trash and neither are migrants. Illegal or otherwise.
The border has to be secured if we wish to stop enabling the cartels. I don’t personally care how many people remain here as long as they’re not gang members but the lax border security situation has to be shut down for everyone’s good. And we need to take ownership for our part of the smuggling/ trafficking industry and the increased violence in Latin America. Smugglings’s a two way street.
Objective moral truth is inherently self-evident, and not worthy of mockery. But not at all obvious to those advancing the cult of pseudo-Catholicism.
Dolan and Weisenburger, et al, should take this opportunity to brush up on the actual teaching of the Church which is explained unambiguously in the Catechism which they should already be fluent in as well as the ramifications of violating federal law by harboring illegal aliens.
“Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.” Paragraph 2, Section 2241, Catechism of the Catholic Church(emphasis added)
8 U.S. Code § 1324 – Bringing in and harboring certain aliens
((a) Criminal penalties
(1)
(A) Any person who—
(i) knowing that a person is an alien, brings to or attempts to bring to the United States in any manner whatsoever such person at a place other than a designated port of entry or place other than as designated by the Commissioner, regardless of whether such alien has received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States and regardless of any future official action which may be taken with respect to such alien;
(ii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, transports, or moves or attempts to transport or move such alien within the United States by means of transportation or otherwise, in furtherance of such violation of law;
(iii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation;
(iv) encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law; or
(v)
(I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or
(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts,
shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (B).
(B) A person who violates subparagraph (A) shall, for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs—
(i) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i) or (v)(I) or in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), or (iv) in which the offense was done for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both;
(ii) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)(II), be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;
(iii) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) during and in relation to which the person causes serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of title 18) to, or places in jeopardy the life of, any person, be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both; and
(iv) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) resulting in the death of any person, be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined under title 18, or both.
…
Perhaps if our Catholic bishops didn’t support the breaking of US Immigration law they wouldn’t have to worry about the Feds entering churches to arrest those here illegally. The first thing we need to get rid of in the Catholic church is Catholic Charities USA which is a habitual supporter of law-breakers. The next thing we need to rid ourselves of are woke homosexualist bishops of whom we have plenty.