The Catholic Bishops of California, via the California Catholic Conference:

At a moment when people are exercising their First Amendment rights to protest and seek accountability, violence only deepens wounds and erodes the foundations of peace and public trust.

We echo our brother bishops’ call for restraint, transparency, and respect for the dignity of every human life. In a constitutional republic grounded in checks and balances, accountability, due process, and truth are not optional.

Deportation alone is not an immigration strategy. Enforcement without proportionality and power without accountability cannot produce safety or stability. Instead, they exacerbate fear, separate families, and place already-vulnerable lives at greater risk. Immigration policy must first recognize that migrants are human beings imbued with inherent dignity and then offer solutions grounded in justice rather than fear or force.

Pope Paul VI taught, “If you want peace, work for justice.” Pope Francis reiterated this truth, reminding the world that “Without justice, there is no peace.” And Pope Leo XIV stressed, “I believe we must seek ways of treating people with humanity, with the dignity that is theirs.”

In this moment, it is right to question whether our leaders truly seek peace, intend justice, or are concerned with treating all people humanely. The actions of many who give orders and follow orders no longer reflect the values upon which our society is based, and certainly not the Christian command to love one’s neighbor as oneself.

In this light, we renew our call for meaningful immigration reform—one that addresses the root causes of migration, provides lawful pathways, preserves family unity, and upholds the rule of law without resorting to excessive or indiscriminate force.