In an opinion article in which he criticizes the current mass deportation and migratory raids of the Trump administration, the Archbishop of Los Angeles (United States), Mons. José Gomez, urged the federal government to adopt, instead, a case -by -case case approach on how undocumented immigrants.
Mons. Gomez, who is also an immigrant from Mexico and the naturalized citizen of the United States, He wrote the article in the Archidiocesana Angelus News publicationin which he argued that the country needs “a new national conversation about immigration.”
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
According to the prelate, the conversation must be “realistic and make the necessary moral distinctions and practices on those in our country illegally.”
The Archbishop wrote that he is “deeply disturbed by the reports of federal agents stopping people in public places, apparently without showing judicial orders or evidence that those who are stopping are in the country illegally”, which, he argued, “is causing panic in our parish and communities.”
“People are staying at home and do not go to Mass or work, parks and stores are empty, the streets in many neighborhoods are silent,” said Mons. Gomez. “Families remain behind closed doors, out of fear.”
Although the Archbishop said that “we can agree” that the administration Biden “went too far by not securing our borders” and allowed “too many people to enter our country without being examined,” he said that the Trump administration “has not offered any immigration policy beyond the declared objective of deporting thousands of people every day.”
“A great nation can take time and the care to make distinctions and judge each case according to its merits,” the archbishop wrote.
Mons. Gomez said that the deportations of “known and criminal criminal terrorists” are appropriate and that “we can reinforce border security” and work to help employers guarantee “the legal status of their employees.”
The archbishop continued to make a call to reform the legal immigration system “to ensure that our nation has the qualified workers they need” and maintain a “commitment to family reunification.” In addition, he argued that the government “should restore our moral commitment to provide asylum and protection status to true refugees and populations.”
Additionally, Mons. Gomez wrote that the solution must include a route so that people “who have been in our country for many years” can obtain legal status. He pointed out that two thirds of undocumented immigrants live in the United States for more than a decade and some were brought when they were young children.
“The vast majority of ‘illegal foreigners’ are good neighbors, working men and women, people of faith,” wrote the archbishop. “They are making important contributions to vital sectors of the US economy: agriculture, construction, hospitality, health and more. They are parents and grandparents, assets in our communities, beneficial organizations and churches.”
Mons. Gomez, who has been critical of the mass deportation plans since Donald Trump assumed the position, published the opinion article on June 17 in the midst of the ongoing protests against the migratory control raids in Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the country.
The protests began on June 6 after agents of the United States Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE) arrested more than 40 undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles.
In an interview with CNA, Ewtn News agency, Andrew ArthurExjuez de Immigration and now a law and political researcher at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), refuted some of the Archbishop’s characterizations about the deportation efforts of the Trump administration. CIS, which defines a “pro-immigrant, but low immigration” studies center, has been closely aligned with many of the migratory initiatives of the Trump administration.
Arthur, who is Catholic, said ICE arrested less than 50 people in Los Angeles on June 6, in a city where there are more than 900,000 immigrants found in the country illegally. He pointed out that the arrests represented 0.004% of that population.
According to Arthur, ICE’s raids in Los Angeles focused on “businesses that are exploiting workers” and “individuals with criminal records.”
“With all due respect, I think the bishop starts from a wrong belief about what is happening,” said Arthur.
“Many of these reports are exaggerated,” he said. “Some are wrong and others are simply lies.”
Arthur argued that “statements like this feed the same panic that he tries to address,” stating that “I have not seen that there have been massive raids from individuals in the United States.”
Since President Donald Trump took office five months ago, ICE has deported more than 100,000 immigrants who were in the country illegally, According to the White House. The administration has also sought to encourage those in the country illegally to be self-support. CIS estimates that there is about 15 million of undocumented immigrants in the country.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Tyler Arnold
Tyler Arnold is a reporter of the National Catholic Register. He previously worked at The Center Square and has published in various media, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative and The Federalist.