Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez criticized the Trump administration's wide-sweeping immigration raids and called for a more careful approach in an opinion piece released this week.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week continued carrying out raids all over Los Angeles as part of the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
Gomez wrote in an article released by Angelus News, a weekly magazine published by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, that he has "been deeply disturbed by the reports of federal agents detaining people in public places, apparently without showing warrants or evidence that those they are taking into custody are in the country illegally."
He added, "These actions are causing panic in our parishes and communities," causing people to skip "Mass and work; parks and stores are empty; the streets in many neighborhoods are silent. Families are staying behind locked doors, out of fear."
Gomez wrote that while he believes that the Biden administration "went too far in not securing our borders and in permitting far too many people to enter our country without vetting … the current administration has offered no immigration policy beyond the stated goal of deporting thousands of people each day."
The archbishop adds, "This is not policy, it is punishment; and it can only result in cruel and arbitrary outcomes. Already, we are hearing stories of innocent fathers and mothers being wrongly deported, with no recourse to appeal."
Gomez went on to urge the Trump administration to "take the time and care to make distinctions and judge each case on its merits."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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