Many Catholic bishops and other religious leaders in the U.S. have spoken against immigration policies that include abrupt deportations and family separations. They’ve called for reforms, joined with other denominations to ask for reform, and even filed a lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Now, as Fresno, California, experiences a surge of ICE activity, its bishop has released a strongly worded pastoral letter. Bishop Joseph V. Brennan, D.D., shepherds the Diocese of Fresno, where about half of local residents are Hispanic. Besides ICE arresting more than 70 people last week, the region also saw a high-profile felony assault charge against an ICE agent, sparking widespread concern and community protests. Forced separations and abrupt deportations are “heartbreaking,” Bishop Brennan wrote in his pastoral letter: It breaks my heart to hear from some of my pastors that members of their congregations have been taken away abruptly and with little or no information coming from Read More…

Bishop: “We will not be silent” over ICE separations