US Catholic Bishops Criticize Trump Immigration Raids Disrupting Church, Communities

U.S. Catholic leaders have expressed significant concern over President Donald Trump's immigration policies, highlighting the destabilizing effects on immigrant families and communities. At Georgetown University panels, bishops and nuns criticized mass deportation efforts for creating fear that deters immigrants from accessing education, work, and worship, while urging for humane and rational reform. Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala and others shared the emotional toll these policies have on individuals and families, emphasizing the need for dignity and compassion. Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski and Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez underscored immigrants' economic contributions and the importance of addressing their spiritual needs, including through ministries at detention centers like Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz." Simultaneously, tensions persist between the Trump administration and Catholic entities concerning religious liberty and immigration enforcement, as illustrated by actions against migrant-serving nonprofits and detainee sacramental access. These developments occur amid broader critiques of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' priorities, such as their recent move to make an anti-racism committee permanent despite ongoing crises affecting Catholic communities.