Immigration A Main Topic For U.S. Conference Of Catholic Bishops Meeting In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting in Baltimore this week, and is taking a stand on behalf of immigrants.
Immigrants are being given assurances that the Catholic Church will be a place to turn to for help.
Those assurances are increasingly important for an immigrant population that is feeling helpless in the face of Trump administration policies.
The nation's Catholic bishops meeting here in Baltimore see immigrants as people, not politics.
"They are very much afraid, they're very much concerned. Will I be separated from my family? Will my children be taken away from me? There are all these questions being asked. What's the future going to be?," said Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, Diocese of Austin.
Trump administration policies continue to spread fear in the immigrant community, as prospects loom that the U.S. will end temporary protection status for tens of thousands of Central Americans, prompting calls for action.
"I have friends who are undocumented and they tell me all the time, 'ICE gave me two weeks to leave the country.' 'ICE knocked on my door.' It's becoming really aggressive on a lot of immigrant undocumented families," said immigrant advocate Felix Cepeda.
"And then today, on this morning's news, they're talking about the Haitians and moving out so many Haitians. They're mostly Roman Catholics," said immigrant advocate Edward Loring.
And it's the position of the church to help.
"We want the church to be the one that they know they can go to, that they can walk with," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Bishops.
The conference considers Trump immigration actions the opposite of what scripture calls for.
The church believes documented or not, immigration is a humanitarian matter.
The conference continues through Tuesday.
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