St. Agnes Protestors Urge Catholic Counter To ICE Activity: Report

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY. — Protestors gathered on the steps of St. Agnes Cathedral Saturday to call on Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres to take action against President Donald Trump’s increased immigration enforcement, Newsday reported.

The demonstration came days after U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a Special Pastoral Message about the immigration enforcement, one that expressed sadness at the way immigrants are currently treated in the country and spoke "in defense of God-given human dignity." It was the bishops’ first Special Pastoral Message in twelve years.

"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," the Conference of Bishops said in the statement.

A spokesman for Barres told Newsday that the bishop had been involved in drafting a similar letter from New York bishops, which cited the teachings of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in advocating for humane treatment of immigrants in custody.

"At a moment when our nation considers again the plight of the immigrant, we recall that Christian charity, as lived so powerfully by Mother Cabrini, demands we welcome the stranger and treat every individual with respect and dignity," the New York bishops’ statement read.

Nassau County officials have worked closely with Immigration Customs Enforcement for most of the year.

OnThursday, State Assemblymember Charles Lavine organized a vigil that he said was, "to stand together against the dehumanizing immigration policies of our current administration and to show support to those families affected in our community."

Earlier this month, the BBC reported that Pope Leo had urged "deep reflection" on the treatment of immigrants in the United States.

To read Newsday’s full report on the demonstration at St. Agnes, click here.