For the first time in 12 years, U.S. Catholic bishops issued a unified statement Wednesday to support the country\u2019s immigrants and oppose the Trump administration\u2019s \u201dindiscriminate mass deportations of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The special statement<\/a> was issued during the bishops\u2019 annual gathering in Baltimore. It was the first time since 2013 that the bishops had collectively voiced their concerns over an issue. The last time they did so was in response to the federal government\u2019s contraceptive mandate<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement,\u201d the statement read in part. \u201cWe are concerned by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.\u201d<\/p>\n The bishops called for immigration reform and expressed sadness that some immigrants had arbitrarily lost their legal status. They said they were also troubled by the threats against the \u201csanctity of houses of worship and special nature of hospitals and schools.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people,\u201d the statement read. \u201cWe pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n A White House spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment. <\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s action underscores the bishops\u2019 united front against the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown and their support of Pope Leo XIV<\/a>, the first pope from the U.S., who has spoken out against the mistreatment of immigrants and called on federal authorities to allow clergy and other pastoral workers access to detainees.<\/p>\n Some priests<\/a> and other religious leaders have been on the front lines in the protests against the Trump administration immigration policies, even being fired upon<\/a> with less-lethal ammunition by federal agents.<\/p>\n In Los Angeles County, immigration raids have contributed to a drop in the number of people attending Mass at some parishes<\/a>. <\/p>\n In July, a day after an arrest at or near a local church, Bishop Alberto Rojas told his San Bernardino diocese of about 1.2 million people that they could stay home on Sundays amid concerns about immigration sweeps. <\/p>\n \u201cI want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time,\u201d he said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n About 58% of people living in the United States who were born abroad consider themselves Christian, according to<\/a> findings from the Pew Research Center. Of those, 30% identify as Catholics, the largest share of any denomination.<\/p>\n In Los Angeles, 28% of all Christians consider themselves Catholic, the highest of any denomination by 12 percentage points, according to Pew.<\/p>\n