Catholic advocacy groups, southern border dioceses and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bi-shops are expressing deep concern after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting immigration on his first week in the Oval Office.
Particularly troubling to these groups are his actions tied to the declaration of a national emer-gency at the southern border and his attempt to end birth right citizenship, a right long upheld under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to anyone born on American soil, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Federal immigration autho-rities also will now be allowed to conduct enforcement actions in traditionally protected areas, including churches and schools, marking a sharp departure from previous policies, according to a Jan. 21 statement by the Depart-ment of Homeland Security, which said the move empowers agents to make arrests without restrictions tied to “so-called ‘sensitive’ areas.”
“Some provisions contained in the Executive Orders, such as those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of which will harm the most vulnerable among us,” said Abp Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference.