Religious Leader Appeals to U.S. Authorities Over Immigration Concerns
Following a meeting with a Texan bishop who is at the heart of the escalating immigration situation, a high-ranking religious figurehead has urged U.S. religious authorities to address the issue. The bishop presented him with a collection of letters penned by immigrant families living in fear of deportation due to the increasingly aggressive stance of the current administration.
The bishop, who hails from El Paso, also shared a video illustrating the struggles faced by migrants. He later shared that the religious figurehead had promised to stand in solidarity with the migrants and the religious leaders assisting them.
"He expressed gratitude for our dedication to the immigrant community and voiced his hope that the conference of bishops would address this matter," the El Paso bishop said. He is also the head of the migration committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Religious Perspective on U.S. Politics
The religious leader, a Chicago-born individual who also holds Peruvian citizenship, has largely refrained from commenting on U.S. politics since assuming his position. However, he recently drew attention to perceived inconsistencies in debates surrounding abortion, capital punishment, and immigration.
"It's contradictory for someone to say they oppose abortion but support the death penalty. That's not truly pro-life," he stated earlier. "And if someone claims to be against abortion but condones the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the U.S., I'm not certain that's pro-life either."
U.S. Catholic leaders have strongly criticized the current administration's crackdown on immigration, which has resulted in family separations, increased fear, and disrupted lives in American churches and schools serving migrant communities. The administration defends these measures as necessary for public safety and national security.
Immigration and Faith
"We're not politicians and don't wish to be embroiled in politics, but it is our duty to teach our faith," the El Paso bishop said. This includes the Gospel's message of recognizing the inherent dignity of all of God's children, caring for the needy, and welcoming strangers.
"People are terrified. This fear has a long-term, profound impact on their lives," he added.
The letters and video provided to the religious leader reveal the daily fear experienced by even legal immigrants. U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and children have been among those detained in increasingly bold and aggressive operations by federal agents. In the religious leader's native Chicago, immigration officials have conducted raids on apartment buildings via helicopter while families were asleep, used chemical agents near a public school, and handcuffed a city official at a hospital.
Voices of Immigrants
In one of the letters handed over to the religious leader, a woman named Maria wrote, "People are too scared to leave their homes. They fear going shopping, attending church, so they stay indoors." Maria is originally from Guatemala and has been living in San Francisco for 25 years. She was granted asylum years ago, but has family members in the U.S. who are undocumented.
"The religious leader needs to speak with the President and ask him to reconsider his approach to immigration," Maria wrote. "He needs to appeal to the President, and the President needs to heed his words. The President must change his actions."
A Legacy of Advocacy
Before his death, the previous religious leader strongly criticized the administration's plans for mass deportations, warning that forcibly removing people based solely on their undocumented status strips them of their inherent dignity.
The current religious leader, the first from the U.S., continues this advocacy. Recently, he held a special Mass for migrants and condemned the indifference and discrimination they often face while attempting to escape violence and hardship. However, when questioned about the immigration crackdown in Chicago this week, he declined to comment.
Prior to his current role, the religious leader, then known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, often posted social media critiques of the administration's immigration policies.
Future Plans
There are whispers that the religious leader may be planning a visit to the U.S. as early as next year, coinciding with the country's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The President has extended an invitation to him.
Before his death, the previous religious figurehead famously held Mass on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border in 2016, in Ciudad Juarez. The service was broadcast live to a stadium across the border in El Paso.
When asked if the current religious leader might visit the U.S. side of the border, the El Paso bishop was noncommittal. "Well, he would certainly be welcomed," he said.
