Twin Cities Archbishop Responds to Trump's Immigration Orders

Several Minnesota cities, including Minneapolis and Saint Paul, may face a crackdown after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that would withhold federal funds from local governments that offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants. Sanctuary cities and counties are called that because they offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants, refusing to turn them over to federal officials for deportation.

Before Trump signed the sanctuary city order, he signed an order formally moving forward with his campaign promise to build a wall on the Mexican border.

Bernard A. Hebda, the Catholic archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, has responded to the executive orders, saying that "the Church has repeatedly underlined the importance of treating our undocumented brothers and sisters with the dignity that is theirs as children of God."

Sanctuary Cities Minneapolis, Saint Paul Face Crackdown from Trump

Below is Hebda's statement in full:

I know that many in our Archdiocese are experiencing fear and anxiety after President Trump’s recent executive orders implementing his plans to expand and fortify the existing wall between the United States and Mexico, to increase immigration deportation and detention, and to punish cities and counties that choose not to cooperate with federal deportation efforts. This is clearly a moment for continuing our prayers not only for the immigrants and refugees who call our Archdiocese home, but also for our parishes who are discerning ways of responding to this situation and for our government leaders at all levels who are called to work for the common good.

The Catholic bishops of the United States have recognized that this is a moment for comprehensive immigration reform and have repeatedly called for collaboration between the White House and our lawmakers in the House and Senate to work together to this end. While recognizing the right of countries to protect their borders and to regulate immigration in a way that is fair and promotes public safety, the Church has repeatedly underlined the importance of treating our undocumented brothers and sisters with the dignity that is theirs as children of God.

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has repeatedly called for all people of the world to welcome the migrant and refugee, who are often fleeing violence and impossible living conditions. At the same time, he has articulated that migrants need to “cooperate ever more closely with the communities that welcome them, for the good of their own children (For the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Jan. 15, 2017).”

We join the Holy Father in reaffirming our Catholic teaching on the dignity of each human life and commit ourselves not only to prayer but also to supporting efforts for those of various viewpoints to come together to work for the common good, to make sure that our laws are just, fair and enforceable as well as compassionate, and to do all that we can to make sure families are kept intact, recognizing that families are the principal building blocks of a civilized society.

Image via Steve, Flickr, used under Creative Commons