Bishops urge Obama administration not to target mothers, children in deportations

January 15, 2016

Charging that the Obama administration’s actions on immigration are inconsistent with the president’s words on the issue, two bishops have called upon the administration to “end its deleterious practice of detaining immigrant women and children” and to cease “targeting immigrant women and children” in deportation enforcement proceedings.

Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, and Bishop Kevin Vann, the chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, said they were expressing their concerns after the Department of Homeland Security “entered homes in immigrant communities, primarily in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, searching for families to deport,” and took “enforcement actions resulting in 121 Central Americans, primarily mothers with children, being taken into custody for impending deportation.”

Over 140 members of the House of Representatives have also criticized the administration its recent enforcement actions, which took place from January 2 to 4.

 

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Further information:

• Bishops Elizondo And Vann Call For An End To Deportation Raids And Detention Of Immigrant Mothers With Children (USCCB)
• Full text of letter (USCCB)
• Tensions escalate further between Obama, Democrats over deportation raids (Washington Post)