‘Climate of Fear’: Church Leaders Slam Mass Deportations
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are creating fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities.
Supporters of the administration argue that stepped-up enforcement is a lawful response to years of inconsistent immigration policy and is aimed at restoring deterrence. They say it’s crucial to restore border control and credibility to the legal immigration system, not targeting communities indiscriminately.
Coakley said, “It’s instilling, as I said, fear in a rather widespread manner. So I think that’s something that concerns us all, that people have a right to live in security and without fear of random deportations. Be generous in welcoming immigrants. We certainly have a right and a duty to respect borders of our nation.”
He urged officials to welcome immigrants with generosity while also respecting the nation’s borders.
Coakley said immigration policy must uphold human dignity and criticized indiscriminate deportations and the vilification of migrants.
The Bishops’ statement said, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened 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.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement, endorsed by Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Ronald Hicks, that condemned the raids and raised concerns about detention conditions and limited pastoral care.
Pope Leo XIV said, “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”
This story was reported by content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City said the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are creating fear and uncertainty in immigrant communities.
Supporters of the administration argue that stepped-up enforcement is a lawful response to years of inconsistent immigration policy and is aimed at restoring deterrence. They say it’s crucial to restore border control and credibility to the legal immigration system, not targeting communities indiscriminately.
Coakley said, “It’s instilling, as I said, fear in a rather widespread manner. So I think that’s something that concerns us all, that people have a right to live in security and without fear of random deportations. Be generous in welcoming immigrants. We certainly have a right and a duty to respect borders of our nation.”
He urged officials to welcome immigrants with generosity while also respecting the nation’s borders.
Coakley said immigration policy must uphold human dignity and criticized indiscriminate deportations and the vilification of migrants.
The Bishops’ statement said, “We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened 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.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement, endorsed by Pope Leo XIV and Bishop Ronald Hicks, that condemned the raids and raised concerns about detention conditions and limited pastoral care.
Pope Leo XIV said, “I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts, there’s a system of justice.”
This story was reported by content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
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