Catholic Diocese To Serve Needy Amid Immigration Raid Threat

ARLINGTON, VA — Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to allow immigration officials to enter houses of worship, leaders in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington remain committed to assist those in the community that needed help.

“No Church ministry should hesitate to provide that vital assistance our faith compels us to offer: celebrate the Mass and offer the sacraments, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and welcome the stranger,” said Stephen Carattini, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. “Catholic Charities will continue to serve the poor, protect the vulnerable, and welcome the newcomer, as we have for more than 50 years.”

The Trump administration said in January that it would allow federal immigration agencies to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals, ending a policy that had been in effect since 2011, according to the Associated Press.

“We are … obligated, as believers in Jesus Christ, to serve those who come to us for assistance—no matter who they are,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington in a pastoral letter issued Jan. 31.

"I plead with those responsible for law enforcement to refrain from entering our sacred spaces unless absolutely and unequivocally necessary to ensure the safety of all persons," Burbidge wrote.

On Feb. 25, a federal judge in Maryland issued an order to block immigration officers from entering a house of worship to indiscriminately conduct immigration enforcement operations, according to AP.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chang found that the Trump administration policy could violate their religious freedom and should be blocked while a lawsuit challenging it plays out, AP reported.

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The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward, a nonprofit legal-aid organization, on behalf of religious groups, including the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, the Adelphi Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Maryland and Richmond Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Virginia.

“For decades, the government has recognized that everyone — no matter their immigration status — should be able to attend houses of worship without fear of a warrantless government raid. “Religious institutions should not have to go to court to fight for the right to worship and associate freely that is enshrined in our Constitution,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward.

In his pastoral letter, Bishop Burbidge encouraged Trump and congressional leaders to develop a national immigration policy committed to human dignity and the common good.

“Americans earnestly look to our elected officials for a humane and peaceful immigration policy that is just, compassionate, and restores confidence in the rule of law,” he said. “American law must always include pathways for legal entry and as citizens we should always celebrate the contributions of immigrants, ensure the protection of the vulnerable, and uphold the common good which is the condition for ordered liberty and public safety.”

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington includes the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church, as well as Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.