Having faith in resistance: Michigan’s Catholic churches take a stand against ICE
Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, Saginaw, Michigan
On January 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security updated the objectives of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to reflect new Trump-era practices. This included repealing the Biden Administration’s guidelines barring these agencies from entering schools, hospitals, and churches. Now, these “sensitive areas” are being opened for raids against undocumented students, patients, and parishioners.
In a statement made by Acting Secretary, Benjamin Hoffman, undocumented people are painted in the same negative light echoed by Trump and Vance on the campaign trail.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murderers and rapists—who have illegally come into our country,” said a DHS Spokesperson. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.”
These new guidelines have struck a negative chord with many religious leaders throughout Michigan. Here, many offices who offer free or reduced price legal services to undocumented immigrants are connected to a faith organization. For example, the Director of Immigration Legal Services for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, Nicole Iraola, had a lot to say to ABC 13 News.
“Places of worship are sacred spaces,” Iraola said. “We hope that following the guidance that [immigration officials] have received to use ‘common sense,’ they they will not be interrupting and causing major stress to people while they’re trying to practice their religion.”
In an act of measured retaliation against the DHS, the Michigan Catholic Conference—the official voice of the church on public policy—released a full statement against the new policy. The mission of the MCC is to “promote a social order that respects human life and dignity,” a stance which is clear in their latest statement.
“We hear and emphasize with families across the state who express anxiety and fear over mass deportations and harmful rhetoric that broadly demeans our immigrant brothers and sisters. As shepherds of our flocks, we pledge amid such uncertainty to promote through the [MCC] and in our respective diocese unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people in our midst.”
- Michigan Catholic Conference
The pastoral note opened with this quote from Matthew, which illuminates the church’s “fraternal closeness” to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers; “I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me… Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
The document ends with a call to Our Lady of Guadalupe to “hear the cries of the suffering,” something which will surely resonate with the Latino immigrant community, of which over half identify as Catholic.
Ten reverends signed the note as representatives of their dioceses across Michigan. These signatories cover all dioceses of the state, offering a sense of hope and respect from the northern to southern borders.
Reverend Robert D. Gruss oversees the Saginaw branch of the Catholic church, which both my father and grandfather belong. A priest of Gruss’s looked over my grandparents while they passed and made home calls for final rites when the time came. On a personal level, what Rev. Gruss had to say to WJRT News Saginaw was heartwarming.
“[Undocumented immigrants] have inherent dignity created in God’s image and a likeness as we all do, and so no matter where they are from or how they came into the country, they are children of God.”
- Bishop Robert Gruss
After adamant outcry against the DHS policy from Catholic institutions across the nation, Vice President Vance made a statement calling out the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for “frankly, not [being] a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement that the American people voted for.” He also reminded his constituents that he is a devout Catholic and hopes the USCCB does “better” moving forward.
Additionally, the Vice President has criticized the Catholic church for their retaliation, arguing that by receiving over $100 million in federal funding has skewed their true doctrines on humanitarian crises, insinuating that the organization is more worried about their bottom line than actually helping undocumented immigrants.
In an act of defiance, Christian social justice organization Faithful America has begun a petition calling for the Vice President to follow traditional Catholic teachings while in office. The organization boats a slogan of “love thy neighbor, no exceptions” and claims to be the largest online community of Christians “putting faith into action.”
As of this publishing, Faithful America has accumulated nearly 200 thousand members and 20 thousand petition signatures by supporters who are also greatly disturbed by Vice President Vance’s statements. In their call to action they say that the Trump Administration is spreading “lies about who Christians are called to love.”
“You are bearing false witness against Jesus himself who clearly commands us to love our neighbor as ourself, to welcome the stranger, and to lay down our life for our friends. […] We will not be silent and obedient while [Vice President Vance] and President Trump continue to commit atrocities in the name of our faith.”
-Faithful America
As the controversy surrounding the Department of Homeland Security’s new immigration enforcement guidelines intensifies, Michigan finds itself at the heart of a moral and political debate. Faith communities across the state are standing up in defense of the vulnerable—immigrants seeking refuge, sanctuary, and hope.
The Catholic church’s response is a reminder of the deep, personal connections between faith and advocacy, especially in the face of government policies that many view as unjust.
The Michigan Catholic Conference’s outspoken opposition, supported by clergy across the state, underscores a powerful message: the church will not be swayed by political pressure that undermines human dignity.
As public outcry continues to grow, including from national organizations and a variety of faith leaders, it’s clear that the fight for humane immigration practices extends far beyond political lines. For many Michiganders, this isn’t just a policy debate; it’s a question of compassion, faith, and the very principles that define what is means to be a community in 2025.
As the tension between national immigration enforcement and religious belief escalates, Michigan’s faith leaders remain unwavering in their commitment to defending the sanctity of sacred spaces and the dignity of all people—no matter their immigration status.
