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The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
California bishop suspends Mass obligation due to immigration fears
San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas, who leads more than 1.5 million Catholics in Southern California, has formally excused parishioners from their weekly obligation to attend Mass following immigration detentions on two parish properties in the diocese. The dispensation is a move usually reserved for extenuating circumstances, like the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Rojas says it is necessary because of the fear of being apprehended and possibly deported that has gripped communities, including Catholic churches. 'There is a real fear gripping many in our parish communities that if they venture out into any kind of public setting they will be arrested by immigration officers," said Rojas, in a statement Wednesday. 'Sadly, that includes attending Mass. The recent apprehension of individuals at two of our Catholic parishes has only intensified that fear. I want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time.' Save for a serious reason, Catholics are obligated by their faith to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. In May, the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee issued a similar statement following immigration enforcement actions in the area, excusing those who were fearful of attending Mass from their holy obligation, though it was not named as a formal dispensation. Rojas is an immigrant himself. He was born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He has been consistent in his support of immigrants and said when he assumed this role that it would be one of his top priorities. Last month, as federal agents made arrests and the federal government deployed the National Guard to maintain order amid protests in Los Angeles, Rojas issued a statement calling out federal agents entering parish properties and 'seizing several people," creating an environment of fear, confusion and anxiety. 'It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — which guides us in all that we do,' he said. 'I ask all political leaders and decision-makers to please reconsider these tactics immediately in favor of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity and builds toward a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.' The diocese, which was created in 1978, serves over 1.5 million Catholics in Riverside County, which is 52.5% Latino and San Bernardino County, which is 56.4% Latino, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Members of local parishes who are in the U.S. without documents have made positive contributions to their communities 'with no other issues than their legal status,' the bishop said. 'Most of them are here because they wanted to save their families; they had no other option. I believe that they would love to be legalized, but who can help them?' Rojas said he knows these people would be in church but for the threat to their safety and their family unity. 'With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called,' Rojas said. Pastor Omar Coronado with Inland Congregations United for Change, a faith-based nonprofit serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, called the bishop's decree 'an extraordinary act of moral courage and pastoral care.' At a time when so many families are living in fear and uncertainty, the Bishop's voice offers not just protection but hope," he said in a statement. "We're deeply grateful for his leadership in reminding us that faith is not meant to hide behind walls, but to stand with the vulnerable.' The Diocese of San Bernardino is the nation's fifth-largest Catholic diocese and second-largest in California next to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which is the largest in the country with about 5 million members. Neither the Los Angeles Archdiocese nor the neighboring Diocese of Orange, which serves about 1.3 million Catholics, has issued similar dispensations. A spokesperson for the Diocese of Orange said they have in recent weeks taken steps to support the immigrant community, including asking priests to bring Communion and celebrate Mass in the homes of those who are fearful of leaving their homes. The diocese has also shared protocols with parishes and Catholic schools to help them prepare and respond properly to the presence of immigration officials on church or school grounds, he said. In addition, the diocese is also coordinating efforts to have priests and deacons accompany and spiritually support people at immigration court hearings. Parishes under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are also continuing to 'provide outreach to families and individuals that have been impacted,' a spokesperson for the archdiocese said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
California bishop suspends Mass obligation due to immigration fears
San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas, who leads more than 1.5 million Catholics in Southern California, has formally excused parishioners from their weekly obligation to attend Mass following immigration detentions on two parish properties in the diocese. The dispensation is a move usually reserved for extenuating circumstances, like the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Rojas says it is necessary because of the fear of being apprehended and possibly deported that has gripped communities, including Catholic churches. 'There is a real fear gripping many in our parish communities that if they venture out into any kind of public setting they will be arrested by immigration officers,' said Rojas, in a statement Wednesday. 'Sadly, that includes attending Mass. The recent apprehension of individuals at two of our Catholic parishes has only intensified that fear. I want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time.' Save for a serious reason, Catholics are obligated by their faith to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. In May, the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee issued a similar statement following immigration enforcement actions in the area, excusing those who were fearful of attending Mass from their holy obligation, though it was not named as a formal dispensation. Rojas is an immigrant himself. He was born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He has been consistent in his support of immigrants and said when he assumed this role that it would be one of his top priorities. Last month, as federal agents made arrests and the federal government deployed the National Guard to maintain order amid protests in Los Angeles, Rojas issued a statement calling out federal agents entering parish properties and 'seizing several people,' creating an environment of fear, confusion and anxiety. 'It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — which guides us in all that we do,' he said. 'I ask all political leaders and decision-makers to please reconsider these tactics immediately in favor of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity and builds toward a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.' The diocese, which was created in 1978, serves over 1.5 million Catholics in Riverside County, which is 52.5% Latino and San Bernardino County, which is 56.4% Latino, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Members of local parishes who are in the U.S. without documents have made positive contributions to their communities 'with no other issues than their legal status,' the bishop said. 'Most of them are here because they wanted to save their families; they had no other option. I believe that they would love to be legalized, but who can help them?' Rojas said he knows these people would be in church but for the threat to their safety and their family unity. 'With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called,' Rojas said. Pastor Omar Coronado with Inland Congregations United for Change, a faith-based nonprofit serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, called the bishop's decree 'an extraordinary act of moral courage and pastoral care.' At a time when so many families are living in fear and uncertainty, the Bishop's voice offers not just protection but hope,' he said in a statement. 'We're deeply grateful for his leadership in reminding us that faith is not meant to hide behind walls, but to stand with the vulnerable.' The Diocese of San Bernardino is the nation's fifth-largest Catholic diocese and second-largest in California next to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which is the largest in the country with about 5 million members. Neither the Los Angeles Archdiocese nor the neighboring Diocese of Orange, which serves about 1.3 million Catholics, has issued similar dispensations. A spokesperson for the Diocese of Orange said they have in recent weeks taken steps to support the immigrant community, including asking priests to bring Communion and celebrate Mass in the homes of those who are fearful of leaving their homes. The diocese has also shared protocols with parishes and Catholic schools to help them prepare and respond properly to the presence of immigration officials on church or school grounds, he said. In addition, the diocese is also coordinating efforts to have priests and deacons accompany and spiritually support people at immigration court hearings. Parishes under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are also continuing to 'provide outreach to families and individuals that have been impacted,' a spokesperson for the archdiocese said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Independent
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump is bragging about his deportation plan but he still trails Obama's numbers ... by a lot
Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump promised ' the largest deportation program in American history.' He depicted a country where immigrants are emptied out of the world's most notorious jails and mental institutions to 'poison the blood' of America with violent crime rampages. His vision commanded the swift removal of millions of undocumented Americans. But four months after entering office, the president's history-making deportation plan isn't anywhere close to those figures, and the targets are largely anything but the faces of horrific crime that he sold to voters. Instead, Trump's administration has revoked humanitarian protections for roughly 1 million people who were living and working in the country legally and now are vulnerable for their immediate deportation. He also deployed federal agents to stand outside courtroom doors to arrest people moments after their cases were dismissed in immigration courts. The number of removals under Trump so far dwarfs those under former president Barack Obama, labeled among many immigrant communities the 'deporter-in-chief' for his record-setting removals. His administration deported more than 438,000 people in 2013 alone, a single-year record for this century that even outpaces removals during Trump's first term. If Trump wanted to reach those same numbers, the president would need to more than double the current pace of removals. A frustrated Stephen Miller recently directed immigration officials to make at least 3,000 arrests a day, including sending agents to Home Depot and 7-11 stores to round up day laborers. Deportations under Trump increased to 17,200 in April, surpassing removals from the same period last year under then-President Joe Biden. But Trump may be struggling to hit deportation targets with fewer people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The president effectively shut down the asylum process and ended other legal pathways to entry along the southern border. Within the third month of his administration, apprehensions at the southern border plummeted to roughly 7,000 — marking a 95 percent decrease compared to March 2024. Immigration enforcement under Obama zeroed in on unauthorized border crossings and cooperation with local law enforcement, while Trump is indiscriminately targeting communities with costly high-profile raids. Prior to the Obama administration, people who were caught crossing the southern border without permission typically were allowed to return to Mexico without a formal law enforcement response, which critics say opened the door for people to try to cross again without facing any legal consequences. Under Obama, with bigger budgets for immigration enforcement in the years after the Department of Homeland Security's creation during the War on Terror, formal removal proceedings became more common, as did criminal charges for illegal entry or re-entry, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Those changes reduced the number of deportations overall, but recidivism along the border fell from 29 percent in 2007 to 14 percent by 2014, the group found. Obama later prioritized removals of people considered national security or public safety threats, and issued an executive order in 2014 characterizing criminal gang members, terrorists and people with felony convictions as the highest priority for removals. The number of deportations fell to about 414,000 that year, marking fewer deportations than his recent predecessors overall — to the tune of more than 3 million, compared to George W. Bush's 2 million. Obama also relied on mechanisms to coordinate federal and local law enforcement on immigration enforcement, effectively deputizing state and local cops to enforce immigration laws. He arranged 70 of those so-called 287(g) agreements in 2009. Trump is seeking an expansion of those agreements. But, unlike Obama, Trump is running into significant and volatile political opposition as he explicitly targets cities with majority Democratic control, where officials are resisting the administration's sweeping, militarized response to immigration enforcement. The president's border czar Tom Homan has even suggested that Democratic leadership, including the governor of California and mayor of Chicago, could be arrested if he finds they have violated Trump's commands or shielded immigrants from removal. Trump has resorted to other tactics — including commanding all federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize immigration arrests and rescinding policy that prevents raids in places like workplaces, courthouses, schools, hospitals and other 'sensitive' areas. He also is using federal resources including the IRS to identify undocumented people, targeting international students for removal, rescinding temporary legal status for roughly 1 million people legally in the country after feeling violence, disasters and political turmoil in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. On Sunday night, following a weekend of nationwide protests against his immigration agenda, Trump issued an 'order' on Truth Social commanding his entire administration to get behind his push for ICE 'to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.' That includes deploying agents to several major Democratic-run U.S. cities, home to millions of people and thousands of undocumented immigrants. The president also suggested he was backing away from workplace raids in farms, meat processing and dairy plants and hotels — multi-billion industries that backed his campaign while employing thousands of undocumented laborers — but he appeared to reverse course just days later. Trump also is running up against budget constraints as he demands more funding for ICE and more capacity to detain tens of thousands of immigrants in an already-cramped detention system. While Trump and Republicans in Congress push for bigger budgets DHS, ICE is already estimated to be $1 billion over budget with a few months left this fiscal year.
Washington Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
The Latest: Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US, with more planned this week
Protests against immigration enforcement raids have sprung up across the country from Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement. More protests are planned nationwide this week. Here's the latest: Immigration raids across Southern California are rattling the area's immigrant communities, even among those in the country legally. More than 100 people have been detained since Friday.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homeland Security labels Maryland, several counties and cities, sanctuary jurisdictions
Federal officials say Maryland is too welcoming to undocumented immigrants, listing the state and several of its counties and cities among more than 500 "sanctuary jurisdictions" nationwide. (Maryland Matters file photo) The Trump administration on Thursday said Maryland and several of its counties and cities are sanctuary jurisdictions for immigrants, a designation that will bring a warning from federal officials along with a vague threat of the loss of unspecified federal funds. The Maryland governments were among more than 500 jurisdictions nationwide, including states and local governments, labeled sanctuary jurisdictions by the Department of Homeland Security, in response to an April 28 executive order by President Donald Trump (R). Sanctuary jurisdictions come in many forms, but they are generally governments with policies that limit the ability of local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration agencies. Supporters say the policies make local communities safer by increasing immigrant trust in local police agencies and making them more willing to work with police. But Trump, in his executive order, said sanctuary policies 'violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws' in a 'lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law.' The order directs the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security to contact jurisdictions on the list, and it further requires federal agency heads to identify grants, contracts and other funds that could be withheld from the jurisdictions 'as appropriate.' The Homeland Security list tagged the state of Maryland, eight counties and 10 municipalities. The department said it determined whether a government was a sanctuary jurisdiction 'by factors like compliance with federal law enforcement, information restrictions, and legal protections for illegal aliens.' The department labeled Maryland as a 'Self-Identification as a State Sanctuary Jurisdiction,' but doesn't summarize what that entails. D.C. area food industry shaken after DHS visits more than 100 businesses 'DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,' the department's statement said. Despite the administration's repeated claim that sanctuary policies violate federal law or obstruct federal immigration enforcement, the policies do neigher. And local officials were already pushing back Thursday against threats from federal officials. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) released a statement Thursday that mentions the possibility of suing the administration, after his city was listed as a sanctuary jurisdiction. 'To be clear: by definition, Baltimore is not a sanctuary city, because we do not have jurisdiction over our jails. We follow our limited obligations as defined under federal immigration law,' Scott said. 'But we are a welcoming city, and we make no apologies for that,' his statement said. 'We are better because of our immigrant neighbors, and we are not about to sell them out to this administration.' Six of the 10 Maryland municipalities the department designated as sanctuary cities are in Prince George's County: the towns of Cheverly and Edmonston, and the cities of College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville and Mount Rainier. Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George's), chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus, said in a text message Thursday night that labels such as 'sanctuary jurisdiction' oversimplify work done to serve and protect residents. 'Maryland, Prince George's County and our municipalities have long embraced policies that create welcoming, inclusive communities where all residents – regardless of immigration status – can live with dignity and safety,' Martinez said. 'These local approaches are rooted in public trust, safety and effective governance, not political defiance.' In addition to Baltimore City, the other Maryland cities on the list are Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, and Rockville and Takoma Park in Montgomery County. Maryland counties on the DHS list were Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's and Talbot. Maryland does offer limited benefits to undocumented immigrants in the state, including the ability to get a driver's license and to be able to buy health insurance in the state marketplace under some circumstances. But state lawmakers also approved a watered-down version of an immigration bill last month, in the final minutes of the 2025 legislative session, That bill was originally going to prohibit so-called 287(g) agreements, which allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to delegate some federal enforcement authorities to local officers. But the Senate stripped that language out and the House relented. The final version of the bill, which becomes law Sunday, gives limited protection against immigration actions in 'sensitive locations,' such as churches, schools or hospitals. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
