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“The majority of undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma are upstanding members of our communities and churches, not violent criminals.”
Last month, the U.S.Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a “special message” condemning the administration’s mass deportation agenda and the “vilification” of migrants. The statement expressed concern over the fear and anxiety immigration raids are causing in communities, as well as the denial of pastoral care to migrants in detention centers.
The special message received endorsement from Pope Leo XIV and bishop Ronald Hicks, recently appointed by the pontiff as the next archbishop of New York, succeeding Cardinal timothy Dolan as leader of the country’s second-largest Catholic diocese. Dolan announced his resignation earlier this year upon reaching the age of 75, as required by Catholic law.
“I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have,” Leo saeid last month. “If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”
The pope has previously urged local bishops to speak out on social justice concerns, suggesting that support for the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States” may be incompatible with pro-life principles.
