The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a rare condemnation of US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and advocated for "meaningful immigration reform."
"We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools," the bishops said in a special message, the first of its kind in 12 years.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration efforts, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The message echoes similar critiques made by Pope Leo, who has called for "deep reflection" about the way migrants are being treated in the US under Trump.
The Trump administration has advanced an aggressive immigration agenda since taking office earlier this year. Trump has rescinded policy that limited immigration arrests near sensitive locations, including churches, hospitals and schools, and deployed federal agents across the US to ramp up such arrests.
In their message, the bishops expressed concern about what they described as "a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling" and immigration enforcement. They said they were saddened by the debate and vilification of migrants, and opposed "the indiscriminate mass deportation of people."
The bishops also raised concerns about conditions in detention centers, and what they called the arbitrary removal of legal status of some migrants.
"We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good," the bishops said.
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