U.S. Must Fix 'Broken Immigration System,' LA Archbishop Says

LOS ANGELES, CA — A day after U.S. Roman Catholic bishops delivered a rare "special pastoral message" on immigration, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said Thursday that the nation must come together "to reform our broken immigration system."

Gathering for its fall meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Wednesday addressed its concern for the federal government's enforcement actions, which have sown fear and family separation in targeted communities. The message marked the first time in a dozen years the USCCB has invoked the urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops.

In its message, the bishops said "human dignity and national security" should not be in conflict.

"We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement," the bishops' message reads. "We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status.

"We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones."

At the same time, the message continues, the bishops "recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks."

The USCCB said it opposes "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement."

The bishops urged "all people of good will" to assist immigrants in "meeting their basic human needs." The conference added it would continue to advocate for "meaningful immigration reform."

The message did not mention President Donald Trump, whose administration's aggressive approach to arrests and deportations has been criticized by religious leaders, Democrats and others.

In comments issued Thursday, Gomez, leader of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, suggested that the USCCB message be read "prayerfully. As pastors, this issue is not about politics but about the sanctity and dignity of human life."

The Archbishop continued, "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and spoken about with charity. We are praying for political leaders, law enforcement officers, and especially our immigrant brothers and sisters, who are living in fear. May Our Lady of Guadalupe help us to come together as one nation to reform our broken immigration system."

City News Service