Some 35 local and national Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders gathered in St. Lucy Parish in the Archdiocese of Newark on Jan. 13 for a prayer service and open discussion on the prospect of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and the expected fall out of family separations.
Across the board, faith leaders in attendance expressed deep concern for immigrant families at risk.
The event, organized by Faith in New Jersey and Faith in New York, local federations of the national advocacy nonprofit Faith in Action, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Newark, focused on the spiritual and practical steps faith communities are taking in regard to policies that threaten family unity.
In his comments at the event, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark, stressed, “We’re deeply concerned about the potential impact of mass deportation on children and families. Within the Catholic tradition and other faith expressions represented here today, we’re able to see the humanity in everyone. We’re able to care for everyone, especially the most vulnerable: the children, the widows, the poor, the orphans, and yes, the immigrants. . .”
Also in attendance were Newark Auxiliary Bishops Manuel A. Cruz, Elias R. Lorenzo, Michael A. Saporito and Gregory J. Studerus, along with Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan of Camden; Camden Coadjutor Bishop Joseph A. Williams, and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson.
Cardinal Tobin was among faith leaders who offered prayers and spoke out against policies that threaten to break apart families.
Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' migration committee, who was also a participant, reminded participants that the Catholic Church will work to protect families, human dignity and religious liberty, and would also “work for immigration reform and good laws, to pour cool water on embers of hate, to preach the Good New and to oppose mass deportations …”
The Newark gathering came just weeks after the USCCB issued guidelines on immigration reform, “The Catholic Elements of Immigration Reform,” noting six essential elements: Enforcement efforts should be targeted, proportional, and humane; Humanitarian protections and due process should be ensured; Long-time residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship; Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the U.S. system; Legal pathways should be expanded, reliable, and efficient; The root causes of forced migration should be addressed.
According to Faith in Action, four out of five undocumented people in the United States have been in the country for more than 15 years. That is nearly nine million people who are deeply rooted and invested in their communities.
Elsa, present at the Jan. 13 gathering and a leader with Faith in New York, shared the experience of the immigrant community, saying, “Parents in my community fear doing basic daily tasks like taking our kids to school or our neighborhood parks because we worry about being detained in front of the children. We fear reporting crimes to the police because they could collaborate with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. We even worry about going to hospitals because we don’t feel safe.”
The fears in the immigrant community grow daily as the new administration has also stated it would permit immigration enforcement in houses of worship, schools and hospitals, considered “sensitive locations” – essentially revoking ICE’s long-standing policy restricting the arrest of unauthorized immigrants at such locations.
Compiled from OSV News, story by Maria Margiotta, executive director of communications for the Archdiocese of Newark and Sean Quinn, the archdiocese’s public relations manager. Mary Morrell, editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.
Photo caption: Audience members place the first names of potential deportees on a table at St. Lucy's Church in Newark, N.J., Jan. 13, 2025, during an interfaith gathering of religious leaders committed to supporting immigrants facing the threat of mass deportation by the incoming Trump administration. The event was co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Newark and Faith in Action, an international faith-based organizing network. —OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz