American Roman Catholic Church Leaders Denounce White House Border Policies
In a rare public statement, America's Catholic bishop leadership has released a firm denunciation of President Donald Trump's border enforcement measures.
Special Message Shows Deep Concern
Church leaders expressed being concerned by risks to the sacred nature of houses of worship and the unique character of hospitals and schools.
Countries bear the duty to manage their boundaries and create fair, organized immigration frameworks for the benefit of all.
Environment of Apprehension
Within their declaration, the bishops portrayed what they called "a environment of apprehension around questions of profiling" and border control measures.
They revealed being disappointed by the current discussion and negative portrayal of migrants, while rejecting what they described as "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."
Additional Concerns
Church authorities also voiced major apprehensions about:
- Conditions in immigration detention centers
- Random revocation of legal status for various foreign nationals
- Insufficiency in meaningful immigration reform
Administrative Shifts
The Trump administration has advanced an tough immigration approach since assuming power, including revoking policies that limited immigration apprehensions near sensitive locations such as places of worship, healthcare establishments and learning institutions.
Global Perspective
The statement parallels equivalent concerns made by Pope Leo, who has urged "serious consideration about the way migrants are being addressed in the US under Trump."
Extended Ramifications
This represents the initial official declaration of its nature in over a decade, underscoring the gravity of the bishops' concerns about present border measures.
