Catholic clergy and ICE raids on immigrants

Where are the clergy's voices?

When voices meant to guide us fall silent in the face of cruelty, the Gospel itself seems to whisper rather than proclaim.

I have been heartbroken to see immigrant families across our country torn apart with family separations. What’s most painful is the silence of so many Catholic clergy who should be speaking out [“How should LI’s Bishop Barres deal with new immigration policy?,” News, Oct. 26]. The Gospels are clear: Following Jesus means defending justice and the dignity of every person, especially the vulnerable stranger.

As a lifelong Catholic, I was taught that compassion and courage lie at the heart of discipleship. “I was a stranger, and you took me in,” from Matthew 25:35, is a call to treat everyone with dignity and mercy. Yet many Catholic Church leaders seem unmoved by the suffering of immigrant families in our own communities.

This silence isn’t new. During the 2024 presidential campaign, derogatory remarks were made about immigrants. Few Catholic voices publicly defended the dignity the Gospel demands for all. Today, as families are separated and immigrants disparaged, the silence continues.

Encouraged by a Jesuit priest, I recently wrote to 133 pastors in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Bishop John Barres, and to local religious orders, urging them to speak out with compassion and courage against this moral atrocity. The sisters responded, but fewer than 20% of pastors did, mostly those already helping immigrant families.

I recognize our clergy carry heavy burdens but wonder why there is such disinterest in an issue mentioned in Scripture. Are clergy capitulating out of fear of the current administration, as law firms, the media and universities have done? How does that square with the gospel they proclaim?

Voices supporting justice can offer hope to families in fear and guide a church seeking to live its mission.

— Jim Hickey, Westbury

I have met Bishop John Barres on many occasions and found him caring and attentive. That is why it is baffling — and painful — to witness his silence as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ruthlessly target immigrants.

The Catholic Church has long provided lifesaving assistance to the vulnerable through Catholic Charities and parish social ministries. But more is needed. Barres must answer Pope Leo’s call to stand with our immigrant neighbors and not “stay silent before injustice.”

On Sept. 7, Jonathan Interiano of Huntington Station went for a walk and was whisked away by ICE to an unknown location and never heard from for weeks [“LI kin wait to hear from detainees,” News, Sept. 24]. The Trump administration is targeting immigrant children as young as 10, offering them money to return home under threat of future arrest.

As a lifelong Catholic, I am deeply disheartened by this silence. Our faith demands that we confront cruelty, not look away. Barres must condemn ICE’s tactics. Snatching people on their way to work, targeting children who fled violence, and detaining those with no criminal record violates core teachings of our faith.

— Michele A. Boccia, Bay Shore

The website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops under the topic “Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration” describes an “immigrant church” which teaches that we should “welcome the stranger among us for in this encounter with the immigrant, the migrant and the refugee in our midst we encounter Christ.”

Daily, we see in the media our government’s policy of mass deportation being carried out by masked, armed ICE agents with tear gas, violently terrorizing immigrant communities, indiscriminately arresting average people, tearing families apart and trashing the concept of minimum “due process” under our Constitution.

Some would argue that Catholic Church leaders should keep quiet because they shouldn’t get involved in politics. Yet I don’t recall any reticence on the part of church leaders on the issue of abortion before Roe v. Wade was rescinded. Indeed, the silence of local and national church leaders is deafening when it comes to ICE’s mass deportations.

Choosing not to speak out forcefully and repeatedly against these outrages is political. Worse, silence in this situation could be deemed assent.

— Eugene W. Bechtle Jr., Lido Beach

Newsday asked the legitimate question: “How should LI’s Bishop Barres deal with new immigration policy?” So, what can Bishop John Barres do about immigration now? He can do a few things starting today.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre can begin putting together a group of Catholic lawyers to do pro bono work to protect immigrant parishioners who are doing the right thing by showing up for their hearings but being immediately taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents because nobody is there to protect their rights.

Barres could have a news conference — today — reinforcing the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that all countries have the right to regulate their borders, but he should note they also have the moral obligation to treat every immigrant with respect and dignity. He should note that moral obligation reflects the teachings of Jesus and any violation of that, including outrageous and cruel actions, goes against his teachings. Barres should have every parish repeat it from the pulpit every Sunday.

The most powerful thing the Catholic Church can do is call out this cruelty and put Catholic politicians on notice with the same effort it uses on abortion.

— Michael L. Wilson, Holbrook