A powerful interfaith coalition, including 20 Catholic bishops, has come out swinging against President Donald Trump’s proposed budget legislation, calling it a moral failure that would inflict serious harm on immigrant families, the poor, and religious communities.
The budget plan, called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” aims to massively increase funding for immigration enforcement. It includes hiring thousands more ICE agents, expanding deportation efforts, and restarting construction of Trump’s controversial border wall. While the bill has drawn applause from MAGA supporters, many faith leaders are not convinced.
“From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support,” the letter stated. “This legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable in our nation, to the detriment of the common good.”
Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, and bishops from Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, and Sacramento are among the signatories. The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Lutheran, Episcopal, and Presbyterian communities also signed.
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The group specifically condemned funding for what they call a mass deportation campaign. They say it will tear families apart, traumatize immigrant children, and spread fear in faith communities. They noted that ICE has removed places of worship from its list of protected locations, allowing agents to enter churches and mosques without hesitation.
“We have already witnessed a reduction in attendance at many of our religious services in our denominations, as the threat of enforcement has deterred many families from practicing their faith,” the letter warned.
The Senate made some changes to the bill — for example, it removed a section that would have penalized states for offering Medicaid to undocumented immigrants. But faith leaders say the changes do not go far enough.
They also criticized new work requirements for Medicaid and cuts to food assistance programs, warning that these changes will push already struggling citizens and legal residents further into poverty.
Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge working with the Center for Immigration Studies, rejected the clergy’s concerns. He accused them of supporting blanket amnesty and dismissed the idea of ICE agents entering churches as overblown.
Chad Pecknold of the Catholic University of America also criticized the letter. He argued that it ignores Church teaching about nations’ right to protect their borders.
However, despite fierce opposition from religious leaders, the House of Representatives passed the bill in a narrow 218 to 214 vote. This marks a major legislative victory for President Trump and his supporters, signaling that his hardline immigration agenda is moving forward, even as moral concerns from America’s faith community grow louder.
Featured image via X Screengrab
