LA Archbishop criticizes Trump administration for having 'no immigration policy,' only 'punishment'

The Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles criticized the Trump administration for having "no immigration policy," in his latest column to parishioners on Tuesday, and called for policy change

What they're saying:

Archbishop José Gomez published a column called "Why we need a new conversation on immigration" on Angelus, an LA-based Catholic news website, on Wednesday. 

In the piece, Gomez addressed the state of immigration and the immigrant community across the U.S. and here in LA, saying that he is "deeply disturbed" by ICE raids across Southern California that he said have caused panic in the immigrant community.

"This situation is not worthy of a great nation," he said.

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While Gomez had some criticisms of Joe Biden's immigration policies, he called out the Trump administration for having no policy.

Trump, Gomez wrote, "has offered no immigration policy beyond the stated goal of deporting thousands of people each day." That objective, he argued, "can only result in cruel and arbitrary outcomes."

Dig deeper:

Gomez commented on the recent immigration raids and subsequent anti-ICE protests, saying that "it is time that we start talking again and stop fighting in our streets." He called for a "new national conversation about immigration" that is both practical and moral.

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Gomez advocated for the deportation of "terrorists and violent criminals, but in a way that… respects their rights to due process."

He also called for tighter border security, a commitment to providing asylum to refugees, and a pathway to legal status for people who've been in the U.S. for years.

The Source: Information in this story is from a column by Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, posted on Angelus.

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