New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops

Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Most Reverend John C. Wester
Diocese of Las Cruces, Most Reverend Oscar Cantú
Diocese of Gallup, Most Reverend James S. Wall

NMCCB Executive Director, Allen Sánchez
P.O. Box 3243 * Los Lunas, NM 87031 * 505.319.3334

Link to Statement from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, June 13, 2018

STATEMENT
New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops Express Urgency in Reversal of Policy Separating Families (CLICK HERE FOR PDF)

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Friday, June 15, 2018

As bishops of a border state, we respond with dismay to President Donald Trump’s overturning of asylum protections for victims of domestic violence and carrying out the practice of separating families to stem migration.

The Bishops of New Mexico strongly support Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, whose statement calls for an immediate end to the policy which removes domestic violence as a reason for asylum. We join the cardinal in condemning the separation of children from their parents. The devastation this inflicts upon the children has life-long consequences for their well-being and is a serious violation to the rights of children. 

We are greatly appalled at those who would promote such terrible border policies. Seeking asylum is not a crime, and those who are seeking it should not be compared to those committing strong-arm robbery, a felony. 

We pray the United States Department of Justice will reverse these practices, as they constitute human rights violations and an offense against the most important unit in society, the family.