Mexico’s bishops have affirmed Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez’s call for U.S. immigration enforcement officers to make a clear distinction between those undocumented immigrants who are violent criminals and those who are not.
“Not all undocumented migrants are criminals,” the Mexican Bishops’ Conference wrote in a statement issued June 11. “On the contrary, the vast majority of undocumented migrants contribute to the good of the communities in which they live and work.”
The bishops expressed “pain and concern” over immigration enforcement raids carried out in Los Angeles that have sparked days of demonstrations that are now spreading to other cities, including San Francisco and Austin, Texas.
In their statement, the bishops quoted a social media statement made over the weekend by Archbishop Gomez, in which he urged “restraint and calm” following the LA raids.
In his statement, the archbishop had also called on national leaders to fix the U.S.’s long broken immigration system, which he said, “leads so many to seek to cross our borders illegally.”
The archbishop followed up his calls for restraint and reform by urging all parishes in the archdiocese to hold a special Mass for peace and unity on Wednesday.
In their statement, Mexico’s bishops said respect for the right to migration is rooted in Scripture and the Church’s tradition.
“You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born,” they wrote, recalling St. Augustine’s fifth-century exhortation: “Give to the foreigner what you yourself will receive in your homeland.”
The bishops agreed that long-term solutions are needed to seasonal and other forms of irregular migration and urged that laws be reformed so that those already in the U.S. illegally would have a legal path to remain in the country with a legal status.
They quoted Pope Leo XIV’s recent address to Vatican diplomats: “No one can excuse themselves from promoting contexts where the dignity of every person is protected, whether citizens or migrants.”
The bishops concluded with an appeal to solidarity and faith: “United with all people of goodwill, especially those suffering in these difficult times, we ask God — through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe — to help us understand that we are all brothers and sisters, and to build a better world together.”
The statement comes as protests over the federal immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles and surrounding areas since June 6 continue. The demonstrations have included violent clashes with police and have resulted in millions of dollars in property damage and the destruction to local businesses, according to Los Angeles city officials.
In response to the demonstrations, President Trump has ordered National Guard troops and Marines deployed to protect federal buildings in Los Angeles, a move that has been strongly opposed by LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
