The US government's aggressive efforts to deport immigrants have left many faith groups scrambling to provide support. Catholic parishioners in California are delivering food boxes to immigrants too afraid to leave their homes after federal immigration agents swept through Latino neighborhoods during the summer.
Despite rising threats against aid workers, Catholic nuns and volunteers at the Kino Border Initiative continue to serve meals daily for immigrants who have been deported or lost their chances at US asylum. In El Paso, Texas, an interfaith group of about three dozen people gathers outside a federal building to pray for immigrant families while monitoring immigration court hearings held inside.
Catholic social teaching is clear: "We are on the side of the immigrant," said Rev Raymond Riding, a Catholic missionary in Tucson, Arizona, who has been ministering to relatives of detained immigrants. The US cities along the south-west border, including Chicago, Portland and New York City, can learn from these examples of supporting immigrant families and protecting against what Pope Leo XIV called "inhuman" treatment of immigrants.
As US cities struggle with immigration policies, some Catholics have expressed support for President Trump's enforcement actions. However, Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of treating immigrants with dignity and respect, calling mass deportations a "major crisis." El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the committee on migration within the US conference of Catholic bishops, has long been an outspoken critic of deportation policies.
Seitz has called for churches and non-profit groups along the border to stand up for poor people and immigrants. He recently asked at a meeting with the pope, "What has happened to our heart? Today in the country and the world, I wonder whether we can even recognize our country, because we were founded on these principles and our Lady of Liberty has stood where so many of our immigrants have entered as a sign of hope, as a place of justice."
The Catholic Church's response to immigration policies is not unique. The US National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas has seen an increase in requests for letters attesting to the good character of immigrants held in detention. Rev Jesús Belmontes, the rector, says his support for immigrants is about justice and not politics.
One of the ways faith groups are responding is by creating underground networks of help to uphold church teachings. These rapid response teams have formed defense teams for immigrants, providing food, shelter, and legal services. Despite rising threats against aid workers, many continue their work, including serving meals to immigrants at shelters and monitoring immigration court hearings.
As immigration policies become increasingly aggressive, faith groups are stepping up to support immigrant families. From delivering food boxes to immigrants in California to organizing interfaith vigils in El Paso, these efforts demonstrate the power of compassion and solidarity in the face of injustice.
Despite rising threats against aid workers, Catholic nuns and volunteers at the Kino Border Initiative continue to serve meals daily for immigrants who have been deported or lost their chances at US asylum. In El Paso, Texas, an interfaith group of about three dozen people gathers outside a federal building to pray for immigrant families while monitoring immigration court hearings held inside.
Catholic social teaching is clear: "We are on the side of the immigrant," said Rev Raymond Riding, a Catholic missionary in Tucson, Arizona, who has been ministering to relatives of detained immigrants. The US cities along the south-west border, including Chicago, Portland and New York City, can learn from these examples of supporting immigrant families and protecting against what Pope Leo XIV called "inhuman" treatment of immigrants.
As US cities struggle with immigration policies, some Catholics have expressed support for President Trump's enforcement actions. However, Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of treating immigrants with dignity and respect, calling mass deportations a "major crisis." El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the committee on migration within the US conference of Catholic bishops, has long been an outspoken critic of deportation policies.
Seitz has called for churches and non-profit groups along the border to stand up for poor people and immigrants. He recently asked at a meeting with the pope, "What has happened to our heart? Today in the country and the world, I wonder whether we can even recognize our country, because we were founded on these principles and our Lady of Liberty has stood where so many of our immigrants have entered as a sign of hope, as a place of justice."
The Catholic Church's response to immigration policies is not unique. The US National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in downtown Dallas has seen an increase in requests for letters attesting to the good character of immigrants held in detention. Rev Jesús Belmontes, the rector, says his support for immigrants is about justice and not politics.
One of the ways faith groups are responding is by creating underground networks of help to uphold church teachings. These rapid response teams have formed defense teams for immigrants, providing food, shelter, and legal services. Despite rising threats against aid workers, many continue their work, including serving meals to immigrants at shelters and monitoring immigration court hearings.
As immigration policies become increasingly aggressive, faith groups are stepping up to support immigrant families. From delivering food boxes to immigrants in California to organizing interfaith vigils in El Paso, these efforts demonstrate the power of compassion and solidarity in the face of injustice.
. Delivering food boxes to immigrants who are too scared to leave their homes is a huge gesture of support. But, I gotta say, it's concerning that aid workers are getting threats left and right 
. It's like they're being silenced for speaking out against the government's policies. 
. The whole "we are on the side of the immigrant" thing resonates with me too. But, what I'm not sure about is why some Catholics still support President Trump's enforcement actions despite Pope Francis' warnings 
.
. The idea of creating underground networks of help to uphold church teachings is so inspiring. These rapid response teams are literally the heartbeat of these communities 
. But, we gotta make sure they're safe and supported in their work. That's what I'm talking about 
It's all about treating immigrants with dignity and respect, and some people just don't seem to get it.
. But hey, at least we've got some brave folks out there who are willing to stand up for what's right, like Rev Jesús Belmontes and Bishop Mark Seitz.
. We need more people like those Catholic social teaching advocates who are actually living by their principles.
35% of Catholics in the US say they've been more involved in social justice issues since the summer, which saw a surge in deportations 
75% of people who work with immigrants report feeling anxious about their safety 
Asylum requests are up by 15% this year, while deportation rates have increased by 20% 
85% of Americans support providing aid to immigrant families, even if it means risking personal safety 
22% of US cities along the southwest border have reported an increase in hate crimes against immigrants since the summer 
These immigrants are just trying to make a living and have a better life for their families, but the gov is making it super hard for them. It's like, they're human beings too, you feel me? 
I've got friends who are from Mexico and they came here with dreams, just like anyone else. But now they're being threatened and deported, and it's just not right.
So let's keep spreading love and kindness, even when it's hard.
pope francis is so right about treatin immigrants w/ dignity & respect 
.
. Like, they're not just giving food boxes, they're also creating underground networks to help out immigrants who can't leave their homes 
. And despite threats against aid workers, many continue to serve meals and provide shelter. It's all about treating people with dignity and respect 
.
. It seems like they're not considering the human side of things at all. I mean, who wants to be deported from their home country just because they didn't have the right papers? 
I mean, have you seen those food boxes being delivered to immigrants in California? It's like a real-life game of "Operation" - except instead of removing a funny bone, they're trying to remove some of the fear from people's lives! 
But seriously, who knew the Catholic Church had such a strong response to immigration issues? I guess you could say they're "border-ing" on the side of compassion 
. And can we talk about how many churches are popping up along the southwest border? It's like a pilgrimage to providing aid to immigrants! 
It's about treating people with dignity and respect. And yeah, some Catholics have been supportive of Trump's policies... but that doesn't make sense if they're a Christian.
. It's crazy to think that we have to resort to helping people because the system is broken 
. We need more empathy and understanding, not just from politicians but also from everyday people like us 
.