California Catholic bishop argues against ‘indiscriminate nature’ of ICE raids
Your morning catch-up: Fresno bishop says Catholic Church “will not be silent” about ICE raids, tech billionaires are vastly outspending wealth tax supporters and more big stories.
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Since early October, we’ve reported on increased ICE raids throughout Central California that have rattled these heavily Latino enclaves.
A Fresno City Council member said deportations have reduced school attendance and cut back on worker participation. Others have pointed out that detentions, even those of U.S. citizens, have stoked fear among the larger Hispanic populace.
Human rights advocates have said the raids are meant to discourage voter turnout, while ICE spokespeople have claimed the department merely “enforces the law of the nation across the country, including California.”
Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph V. Brennan, leader of the 1.2-million diocese of Fresno, attempted to add a spiritual element to the discussion earlier this month.
Catholics have used Scripture to argue for and against deportations and strict immigration enforcement.
Brennan issued a letter offering guidance from a Catholic perspective. He pushed back against the “indiscriminate nature” of raids and added that the Catholic Church “will not be silent” and “will accompany our vulnerable neighbors in concrete, sustained ways.”
Essential California asked the bishop about his letter and the church’s role in the immigration debate while checking in with a couple of Catholic scholars who offered their perspectives.
What did Brennan write?
Brennan, who served at St. Linus in Norwalk and the Cathedral at St. Vibiana in downtown L.A. en route to becoming bishop, said congregations “have been taken away abruptly and with little or no information coming from federal agents.”
“Our country and our elected officials must do better,” Brennan wrote. “We need tangible results that reflect meaningful and just immigration reform. Until such reform is achieved, the dignity of our immigrant brothers and sisters must remain in the forefront of whatever shape our efforts might take.”
Brennan said his letter was based on direction offered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November. In their letter, the bishops attempted to balance human dignity and a right for governments to humanely protect borders.
Does the Catholic Church advocate for open borders?
Brennan said human dignity and national security are not in conflict and both are possible if people of good will work together.
“October is Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church,” he said. “Much like we advocate for the dignity of life when we urge women to not have abortions, we are also advocating for that same dignity of life when we accompany our migrant brothers and sisters.”
The Conference of Catholic Bishops said as much in November, recognizing that “nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good.”
Father William O’Neill, a Jesuit priest and director of immigration ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, argued that the Church has never advocated for open borders.
“I’d say that’s a primary misunderstanding,” O’Neill said. “The recognition that the state, by its very nature, has a right to control its borders has always been a part of Catholic social teaching.”
He, along with San José Bishop Oscar Cantú and Markkula colleague David DeCosse, penned an opinion piece in May for the National Catholic Reporter noting that those for and against deportations often rely on dueling biblical scriptures.
“These biblical mandates neither require ‘open borders’ nor prohibit deportation,” the trio wrote.
O’Neill noted that the church strives to find a middle ground, “to have a safe and legal pathway [to stay] in accordance with international law.”
The Catholic Church’s message is arguing against cruelty
Cecilia Gonzáles-Andrieu, professor of theology and human rights at Loyola Marymount University and the former president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, said that Catholics in favor of indiscriminate mass deportations are ignoring basic church teachings.
“We have a particular time right now in the United States and a particular set of suffering people, and we don’t get to say, well, now we’re just gonna pretend this isn’t happening,” she said.
She said the U.S. bishops were clear in their letter that beyond indiscriminate mass deportations, they also called for an end to “dehumanizing rhetoric and violence.”
“What we’re talking about needing to be eliminated are the extremes,” she said. “We’re talking about extreme and purposeful cruelty, which goes against the bedrock principles for Catholics — the sanctity of life and the family.”
Gonzáles-Andrieu said this cruelty spills over and affects U.S. citizens.
“I have young students who are fearful of being racially profiled, and I’m personally scared for my 92-year-old father,” she said. “Because if you look Latino or Latina, you are now open to being terrorized.”
The week’s biggest stories
State and elections
- Tech billionaires are vastly outspending wealth tax supporters on November’s election.
- More than $351 million in political donations has gone into a high-stakes contest over a proposed wealth tax on the November ballot.
- AOC, Gov. Gavin Newsom and others swing through California to help Democrats in tight races.
- Election deniers are using public records to sow doubt in California.
- Prop. 37 offers $25 billion to homebuyers to help with a down payment for new builds only, though.
Trump Administration policies and reactions
- The three-judge 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a path for Trump to again deploy the National Guard without state approval.
- California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said the ruling blocks an attempt by the Trump administration to once again federalize National Guard forces without state consent.
- President Trump wants to strip California of its coastal protections unless the state meets a list of “corrective action.”
- The Justice Department is demanding California counties set aside “likely” noncitizen ballots.
Meghan Markle’s return to the UK
- Prince Harry opens up about why his family left Southern California for the U.K.
- ‘I want it to work out,’ Harry said of his relationship with brother, William, and his dad, Charles.
- Meghan Markle said she’s ‘deeply distressed’ over child pornography allegations against father Thomas Markle Sr.
Crime, courts and policing
- Sheriff Chad Bianco is asking Riverside County to foot his legal bills over ballot seizures.
- Bianco’s representative last week filed a claim for damages exceeding $10,000.
- A man kills his teenage ex-girlfriend in Arcadia and then shoots himself, authorities say.
- San Bernardino County owes $51 million to the mother of a mentally ill man killed by deputies, jury says.
More news
- The Democratic Socialists of America LA chapter endorsed Nithya Raman for mayor. Now some members are having second thoughts.
- Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler lead Lakers past the Clippers in an error-prone game.
- Ex-ESPN reporter Britt McHenry resigns from State Department after drink-throwing incident at Wizards game.
- Artist Stevie Wonder files a lawsuit to evict his reported ex-fiancée living who is rent-free at his L.A. property.
- The latest public records trove from the federal government details spooky — yet, unverified — history of UFOs on Catalina?
Editor’s pick
As a woman in her 50s living in youth-obsessed Los Angeles, I was well aware of my age. Thankfully, my husband still gazes at me with desire and love.
More picks
- L.A.’s next mayor will face transit challenges with the long-delayed and troubled LAX people mover as Exhibit A.
- Opinion Prep talk: L.A. City Section commissioner knows how to improvise.
- Opinion: If LAUSD must consolidate schools, it should also integrate them
Things to do
- ☀️ Breakfast at Fred 62, hiking at Griffith Park and a vintage jacket shopping spree are on the agenda for Emmy-nominated actor William Jackson Harper on his perfect Sunday.
- 🎲 Loved by locals, Las Vegas’ Arts District is at a crossroads. Can it stay indie and thrive?
- 🎥 Movie review: ‘Wildwood’ is an exquisite handmade adventure set in a forest of warring factions.
Today’s recipe
From the age of the Aztecs to the present, chocolate has served as an integral part of Mexican cuisine. It’s still enjoyed most as a drink in Mexico, preferably made with a molinillo. But Mexican chocolate can also be served as part of a dessert, which isn’t seen too much in Mexico. Here, we add the decadent ingredient for a delicious churros dip. The flavors will blow your mind.
Photo of the day
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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