Archbishop Jose Gomez: stop mass deportations, judge each case on its merits

 

Archbishop of Los Angeles criticizes mass deportations: ‘Judge each case on its merits’

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez. | Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

By Tyler Arnold

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 19, 2025 / 18:53 pm

In an op-ed criticizing the current U.S. administration’s mass deportation efforts and immigration raids, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez urged the federal government instead to take a case-by-case approach on how it handles immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Gómez, who is himself an immigrant from Mexico and a naturalized citizen of the United States, penned the op-ed in the archdiocese-run Angelus News, in which he argued that the country needs “a new national conversation about immigration.”

According to Gómez, the conversation should be one that is “realistic and makes necessary moral and practical distinctions about those in our country illegally.”

The archbishop wrote that he is “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,” which he argued is “causing panic in our parishes and communities.”

“People are staying home from Mass and work, parks and stores are empty, the streets in many neighborhoods are silent,” Gómez indicated. “Families are staying behind locked doors, out of fear.”

Although the archbishop said “we may agree” that the previous administration in Washington “went too far in not securing our borders” and allowed “far too many people to enter our country without vetting,” he contended that the Trump administration “has offered no immigration policy beyond the stated goal of deporting thousands of people each day.”

“A great nation can take the time and care to make distinctions and judge each case on its merits,” the archbishop wrote.

Gómez stated that deportations for “known terrorists and violent criminals” are proper and that “we can tighten border security” and work to help employers ensure “the legal status of their employees.”

The archbishop went on to call for reforming the legal immigration system “to ensure that our nation has the skilled workers it needs” and maintains a “commitment to uniting families.” He further argued the government “should restore our moral commitments to providing asylum and protective status to genuine refugees and endangered populations.”

In addition, Gómez wrote that the solution should include a way for people “who have been in our country for many years” to obtain legal status. He noted that two-thirds of immigrants who are in the country illegally have been here for more than a decade and some were brought here as small children.

“The vast majority of ‘illegal aliens’ are good neighbors, hardworking men and women, people of faith,” the archbishop wrote. “They are making important contributions to vital sectors of the American economy: agriculture, construction, hospitality, health care, and more. They are parents and grandparents, active in our communities, charities, and churches.”

Gómez, who has been critical of the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans since the president took office, published the June 17 op-ed amid ongoing protests against immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, the country’s second most populous city. 

The protests started on June 6 after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested more than 40 immigrants in Los Angeles who were in the country illegally.

In an interview with CNA, Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge who is now resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), disputed some of the archbishop’s characterizations of the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. CIS, which refers to itself as a “low-immigration, pro-immigrant” think tank, has been closely aligned with many of the Trump administration’s immigration initiatives.

Arthur, who is Catholic, noted that ICE arrested fewer than 50 people in Los Angeles on June 6 in a city where there are more than 900,000 immigrants who are in the country illegally. He noted that the arrests represented .004% of that population.

As Arthur sees it, the ICE raids in Los Angeles were focused on “businesses that are exploiting workers” and “individuals who have criminal histories.”

“Respectfully, I think that the bishop is working off of a misinformed belief of what’s happening,” Arthur said.

“Many of these reports are overblown,” he said. “Some of them are erroneous and some of them are just downright lies.”

Arthur argued that “statements like this feed the very panic that he’s attempting to address,” asserting that “I haven’t seen that there have been massive sweeps of individuals in the United States.” 

Since President Donald Trump assumed office five months ago, ICE has deported more than 100,000 immigrants who were in the country illegally, according to the White House. The administration has also sought to encourage those in the country illegally to self-deport as well. CIS estimates that there are nearly 15 million immigrants in the country illegally.

The Catholic Bishops of Mexico in solidarity with migrants who are suffering persecution and violence in the United States

 

Mexican bishops express solidarity with migrants amid protests in US cities

written by David Agren 

People hold signs during a demonstration in Washington June 10, 2025, as part of nationwide protests in solidarity with Los Angeles protests against federal immigration sweeps. (OSV News photo/Nathan Howard, Reuters)

(OSV News) — The Mexican bishops’ conference expressed solidarity with migrants “suffering persecution and violence” in the United States amid protests roiling Los Angeles.

The conference called for the “dignity and rights of all to be respected” as images of the protests — such as demonstrators waving of Mexican flags — along with arrests, capture attention south of the border and draw expressions of concern from the Mexican government.

‘Result of Massive Raids’

“With pain and concern, we are closely following the complicated situation that has arisen as a result of the massive raids to detain undocumented migrants — and the protests in response that have taken place in Los Angeles, California — that have spread to other places,” said the statement, signed by Bishop Eugenio Lira Rugarcía of Matamoros-Reynosa, leader of the bishops’ human mobility ministry. Conference president Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca and secretary general, Auxiliary Bishop Héctor M. Pérez Villarreal of Mexico City, also signed the June 10 statement.

The statement cited Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who said, “We all agree that we don’t want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities. But there is no need for the government to carry out enforcement actions in a way that provokes fear and anxiety among ordinary, hard-working immigrants and their families.”

Addressing Immigration Issue

Bishop Rugarcía continued, “The vast majority of undocumented migrants contribute to the good of the communities in which they live and work. … The solution to undocumented migration requires multiple joint-actions. Among them, an immigration system that allows things to be done correctly, without having to resort to other avenues that only end up complicating everyone’s lives.”

Protests erupted June 6 following raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in predominantly Latino parts of Los Angeles. Subsequent protests broke out in cities such as San Francisco.

President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles on June 7 and mobilized some 700 Marines to join them. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would sue the Trump administration commandeering the state’s National Guard. “He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard,” Newsom said.

Hearing on Temporary Restraining Order

A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, late June 10 declined Newsom’s request for an immediate temporary restraining order to restrict Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines. He set a hearing to consider California’s motion for a temporary restraining order on June 12.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said June 10 he would send National Guard troops to cities around his  state ahead of planned protests.

The raids come as part of a promised Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration. The Wall Street Journal reported federal officials began focusing on places such as Home Depot stores, where day laborers gather, and arresting unauthorized migrants without criminal histories and those with records alike.

12 Million Mexican Immigrants in U.S.

Mexico has traditionally expressed concern for the welfare of the approximately 12 million Mexican immigrants living in the United States, according to Spanish bank BBVA, which publishes an annual report on Mexican migration and remittances. Mexicans accounted for 45% of the estimated 11.3 million people lacking legal status in the United States, the Migration Policy Institute reported in 2022.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has spoken out in defense of Mexican migrants in the United States, saying that Mexican diplomats there have been providing consular protection. She lauded Mexican migrants as “hard working,” whose toil boosts the U.S. economy and remittances support families back in Mexico.

“Our position is, first and foremost, respect for human rights above all else. We do not agree with these actions that violate the human rights of migrants, which criminalize them, as if they were criminals. They are honest workers who contribute to the United States economy,” Sheinbaum said June 9.

President Sheinbaum’s Comments

Sheinbaum’s comments on U.S. migration enforcement have not gone unnoticed in the United States. 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said June 10 at the White House, “Claudia Sheinbaum came out and encouraged more protests in LA and I condemn her for that. She should not be encouraging violent protests that are going on.”

Sheinbaum denied inciting any protests in the United States, calling the accusations “false.” 

“We have never called for violent mobilization,” she said June 11. “We have always been in favor of peaceful protests.”

Mexico’s discontent with U.S. migration raids follows Mexico stepping up its own migration enforcement — under U.S. pressure — to stop migrants transiting its territory from reaching its northern border with the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 8,383 migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in April, down sharply from the 128,895 encounters recorded in the same month of 2024.

David Agren writes for OSV News from Buenos Aires.

The Archbishop of Los Angeles calls for prayer, restraint and calm amidst immigration protests, clashes with police

 

LA archbishop calls for prayer, restraint, reform amid immigration protests

written by Gina Christian 

A police officer uses stun grenades as they approach the protesters gathered around the Los Angeles Federal Building following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles June 7, 2025. (OSV News photo/Daniel Cole, Reuters)

Protesters are blanketed in smoke along Alondra Boulevard during a standoff with law enforcement following multiple detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Compton, Calif., June 7, 2025. (OSV News photo/Barbara Davidson, Reuters)

(OSV News) — Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles is calling for prayer, while urging “restraint and calm” as clashes have broken out in that city over recent immigration arrests. President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard amid pushback from California officials and is threatening to mobilize Marines.

Protests broke out on June 6 after several raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which along with Customs and Border Protection is the law enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

The raids — part of Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration — took place in predominantly Latino areas of Los Angeles, with demonstrations forming at the Federal Building in the city’s downtown, on Highway 101 and in front of a Home Depot in Paramount, 20 miles south of the city’s downtown. Several driverless taxis were set on fire, with dozens arrested and 60 taken into custody at related protests in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the protests, making close to 60 arrests over the June 7-8 weekend.

In a June 7 memorandum, Trump mobilized at least 2,000 National Guard troops to “temporarily protect ICE and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions, including the enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property, at locations where protests against these functions are occurring or are likely to occur based on current threat assessments and planned operations.”

The troops are active “for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense,” who in turn “may employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion,” wrote Trump.

Invoking a law that allows for placing National Guard troops — who operate under both federal and state authority — under federal command, Trump said in his memo that “incidents and credible threats of continued violence” justified his measure.

The move drew the ire of both Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with the latter demanding in a June 8 X post that Trump “rescind the order” and “return control to California.”

Rarely does a president activate a state’s National Guard troops without consulting the governor, although such an action is not unprecedented. In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and deployed the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to enforce federal school desegregation, after Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus defied school desegregation orders.

In his first term, Trump cooperated with several governors who at his request sent their National Guard troops to Washington in response to riots there over the murder of George Floyd.

On June 8, Newsom’s office also sent a two-page letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, formally asking him to rescind the order as Los Angeles city and county law enforcement were “sufficient to maintain order.”

Newsom confirmed to MSNBC June 9 he plans to sue Trump over the matter.

The standoff points to a larger rift between a number of state and local authorities and the Trump administration over the flashpoint issue of immigration, particularly in municipalities known as “sanctuary cities,” where local law enforcement limits cooperation in federal immigration enforcement.

While the Los Angeles protests appeared to have leveled off on June 9, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced that Scholas USA — part of a youth movement founded by the late Pope Francis — postponed an event that was set to be hosted by a Catholic school.

“Our work is grounded in a commitment to dignity, justice, and respect for all — especially

immigrant communities who are facing profound challenges at this moment,” said Scholas USA executive director Jimena Florez in a June 9 media release. “We believe it’s important to pause, listen, and stand in solidarity with those raising their voices for equity and compassion.”

Archbishop Gomez, who said in his statement he was “troubled” by the immigration enforcement raids, pleaded for a more comprehensive solution to the nation’s handling of immigration issues.

“We all agree that we don’t want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities,” said the archbishop. “But there is no need for the government to carry out enforcement actions in a way that provokes fear and anxiety among ordinary, hard-working immigrants and their families.”

He urged Congress “to get serious about fixing our broken immigration system that leads so many to seek to cross our borders illegally.”

“Other nations have a coherent immigration policy that respects the natural rights of people to emigrate in search of a better life and also ensures control of their borders. America should too,” said Archbishop Gomez. “It’s been almost 40 years since the last reform of our immigration laws. That’s too long and it’s time to do something about that.”

Catholic social teaching on immigration balances three interrelated principles — the right of persons to migrate in order to sustain their lives and those of their families, the right of a country to regulate its borders and control immigration, and a nation’s duty to regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

“May Our Lady of Guadalupe continue to watch over her children and pray for America,” said Archbishop Gomez.

Various Bishops response to the immigration orders of President Trump

 

Here’s how U.S. bishops have responded to Trump’s immigration orders

Migrants walk alongside the railroad tracks after dismounting from the “La Bestia” train, which they rode through Mexico to reach the Mexico-U.S. border near Chihuahua, Mexico, on Sept. 27, 2025. | Credit: David Peinado Romero/Shutterstock

By Jonah McKeown

CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 18:25 pm

Since last week, Catholic bishops across the country have publicly responded to President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration, with many calling for a more comprehensive and humane approach to immigration policy that respects the dignity of migrants and refugees. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, newly empowered to make arrests at places like churches and schools without needing to seek a superior’s approval, have reportedly already begun ramping up arrests in some major cities after Trump promised “the largest deportation operation in American history” focusing primarily on “the most dangerous criminals.” 

Trump’s other first-day orders, following through on numerous campaign promises, included a declaration of a national emergency at the southern U.S.-Mexico border, a reinstatement of the controversial “Remain in Mexico” border policy from his previous term, and a designation of drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

Another Trump-signed order set in motion a process to end birthright citizenship for individuals born within U.S. territory irrespective of the legal status of their parents, though a judge has already blocked that order amid a significant legal challenge led by a coalition of states

The Catholic Church teaches that countries, especially wealthier ones, should try to welcome migrants “to the extent they are able” but that nations also have the right to regulate migration.

Trump’s immigration plans, many now coming to fruition, have attracted criticism from Catholic leaders at the national level, with U.S. bishops’ conference president Archbishop Timothy Broglio saying Jan. 22 that “some provisions” of the immigration orders are “deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us.” 

Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on migration, on Jan. 23 decried “sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals’ or ‘invaders’ to deprive them of protection under the law.” Doing so, he wrote, “is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.”

Many individual bishops’ statements have been addressed directly to immigrants, seeking to offer words of encouragement and support and assurances that the Church welcomes them. 

The Catholic bishops of Michigan in a recent statement expressed concern over “mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters.” They pledged “unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people” and urged elected officials to support policies that keep immigrant families safe and united. 

The Michigan bishops clarified, however, that Catholic teaching on immigration rejects the idea of completely “open borders” in favor of a balanced approach that prioritizes both border security and compassionate welcome. They called for a “humane immigration system that welcomes refugees and immigrants by providing a fair pathway to citizenship.”

The bishops of Maryland released a joint statement Jan. 27 to express their solidarity with immigrants and recommitting to advocating for policies that protect rights and uphold their dignity. Quoting Pope Francis, they called for people to see in every migrant “not ‘a problem to be solved but ... brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.’”

“The Church has always been a home for those in search of refuge and peace, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to welcome the stranger and embrace the vulnerable,” the Maryland bishops wrote. 

Texas is at the epicenter of the immigration debate due to its lengthy and highly contested border with Mexico. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, criticizing the use of sweeping generalizations to refer to immigrants, stated that the bishops of Texas “will continue to work with governmental officials and other people of goodwill to implement policies that recognize the dignity of every person, prioritize family unity, and address the root causes of forced migration while respecting the right and responsibility of our country to secure its borders.” 

The Texas bishops said they “urge President Trump to pivot from these enforcement-only policies to just and merciful solutions.”

The bishops of Colorado, another state with a large Latino population, said the rhetoric of mass deportations has “created genuine fear for many we shepherd.” The bishops committed “to walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families” and advocated for “comprehensive immigration reform... that respects human dignity, protects the vulnerable, and ensures safety and security for all people.” 

The bishops of New Mexico had in December articulated a strongly worded statement against a policy of mass deportation of unauthorized immigrants, saying such a policy “will not fix the broken immigration system but, rather, create chaos, family separation, and the traumatization of children.” They called for Trump to instead “return to bipartisan negotiations to repair the U.S. immigration system.”

Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, building on the New Mexico bishops’ earlier statement, said on Jan. 21 that “overly simplistic solutions” to the immigration issue don’t tend to work and that comprehensive reform is needed. 

He further stated that as Catholics, “we firmly believe that all human beings are children of God, brothers and sisters created in God’s image.” 

“We must not treat [migrants] as mere pawns in a game of chess nor politicize them. Instead, we must place their needs and concerns at the forefront of our debates, considering both the citizens of our nation and those seeking refuge at our borders. Our Christian faith urges us to care for the resident and the stranger,” Wester said. 

“The truth is that immigrants are a benefit to our country. They help the economy by increasing the labor force, creating jobs, and boosting productivity. It is a fact that immigrants are often among the most law-abiding, religious, hardworking, and community-minded individuals in our country. They have a lower incarceration rate than the native-born population, and research shows that as the immigration population grows, the crime rate declines.”

Archbishop Jose Gómez of Los Angeles invoked the maternal protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, expressing in a statement his solidarity with undocumented migrants facing potential deportation. Emphasizing the Gospel’s message of human dignity, he criticized fear-based policies and said any enforcement actions should be “matched by immediate action in Congress to fix our immigration system, which has been broken for decades now.”

“For Catholics, immigration is not a political issue. It is a matter of our deeply held religious beliefs. Jesus Christ commanded us to love God as our Father and to love our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable, and regardless of what country they came from or how they got here. Our love for Jesus compels us to continue our works of love and service in our parishes, schools, and other ministries,” Gomez said. 

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, prior to Trump’s inauguration, condemned reports of planned mass deportations, saying they are “not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply.” He stated that “if the reports are true, it should be known that we would oppose any plan that includes a mass deportation of U.S. citizens born of undocumented parents.” 

He affirmed that while the government has a responsibility to secure borders, it is also “committed to defending the rights of all people and protecting their human dignity.”

Bishop James V. Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph urged members of his diocese to “embody the Gospel values of love, mercy, and justice” in light of the recent executive orders. He also called on people to “understand the teachings of the Church on migration and the rights of individuals, articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2241, and as outlined by the USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services.”

In Los Angeles the shepherd draws close to his flock as the wildfires burn; recovery begins

 

Finding God in the wildfires

Archbishop José H. Gomez | New World of Faith

Victims of the Palisades Fire hug during a special Mass for the burned-down Corpus Christi Church at St. Monica in Santa Monica on Jan. 12. (Victor Alemán)

My heart is heavy for all of you who are suffering because of the wildfires that are still burning in the mountains and along the sea. These days are a trial for our great city and for the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

As the firestorm first hit, I offered a series of Masses to pray for you and our neighbors and for the brave men and women working to put these fires out and keep us safe.

It was an emotional experience for me to meet those of you who have lost so much: loved ones and homes, businesses and livelihoods; parishes, schools, and neighborhoods. It makes me deeply sad to see thousands of LA Catholics and other Angelenos living like refugees and displaced persons in their own hometowns.

We are just beginning to understand the magnitude of the destruction and disruption. These fires have reduced people’s worldly possessions and their most precious memories to ashes and left their futures uncertain. Officials say it may take years to rebuild and that many of our communities may never look the same.

In times like this, it’s understandable that we might question God’s love for us, to wonder where he is while good people are suffering. Why does God allow evil? Why does he allow natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods?

There are no easy answers. But that does not mean that there are no answers.

Jesus taught us that God is our Father and that he holds all creation in his loving hands. He promised that not a single sparrow falls from the sky without our Father knowing. Then he reminded us: You are worth so much more than any sparrow.

You are precious to God, each of you. You are so precious to God that he sent his only Son into the world to die on the cross for you. We need to cling to this truth when hardships and sufferings come.

Jesus knows our hopes and dreams and struggles. He is near to us in our joys and in our sorrows.

He has only one will for our lives: that we grow in holiness and love and become saints who share his love here on earth and live forever with him in heaven. Everything that happens, everything he allows, comes from his love for us and his desire for our salvation. 

This is not an easy answer, but it is the truth.

The saints teach that while God himself cannot suffer, he does suffer with us.

This is the beautiful truth of the cross. By dying and rising from the dead, Jesus showed us that God can bring good out of even the greatest evil.

And because Jesus conquered death, our own sufferings can find meaning and purpose when we join them with his.

Every crisis is a crossroads. And in every crisis we have a decision to make.

We can respond with anger and despair, and that’s a natural temptation.

Or we can decide to accept our sufferings as somehow sharing in the sufferings of Jesus, who suffers for us and with us and who will never abandon us no matter how dark the path may seem.

Even when we have been left with little, we still have love to give.

We can “offer up” our sufferings in a spirit of love and sacrifice for our neighbors. We can make a gift of our lives to suffer alongside others, supporting them in their struggles.

Again, the saints teach us that the sacrifices we make for others can bear fruits of love and compassion when we unite ourselves to Jesus’ sufferings. In a mysterious way, what we offer in love becomes part of the great treasury of compassion that flows from his sufferings on the cross.

Already in this firestorm, we see the Lord raising up heroic witnesses.

I’m thinking of the family down on their knees in the place where their home once stood, giving thanks to God and Our Lady for sparing them; the parishioners who risked their lives to put out the fire on the church roof; and the firefighters who rescued the tabernacle from a burning church.

We will hear more stories like this in the days ahead. There will be many more sacrifices of love that we will never hear of, all the hidden offerings of parents for their children, all the little unseen acts of kindness in our homes and communities.

Let’s keep helping and supporting one another, let’s keep working together so that our neighbors will know the truth of God’s love in this hour of devastation and loss.

Pray for me, and I will pray for you.

And let us ask Our Blessed Mother to protect and guide us.

Our Lady, Queen of Angels: Be a mother to us all!