NEW: While celebrating Mass today at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich addressed reports of potential deportation raids in the city this week by the Trump admin.
He condemned news of raids, called for keeping the existing sensitive locations policy, voiced "vigorous" support for "local and state legislation to protect the rights of immigrants in Illinois" and said mass deportation denies "the legacy of what it means to be an American."
ALT: TV-Screenshot of Cardinal #BlaseCupich, archbishop of #Chicago delivering his Remarks regarding immigration at the Basilica of Our Lady of #Guadalupe in #MexicoCity, Jan. 19, 2025.
While we wish the new administration success in promoting the common good, the reports being circulated of planned mass deportations targeting the Chicago area are not only profoundly disturbing but also wound us deeply. We are proud of our legacy of immigration that continues in our day to renew the city we love. This is a moment to be honest about who we are. There is not a person in Chicago, save the Indigenous people, who has not benefited from this legacy.
Jack Jenkins
PV Prutting-Vogtareuth