When a California bishop tells the faithful they’re excused from Sunday Mass because of immigration raids at church properties, you know we’ve crossed into a new realm of absurdity—where the sanctuary of worship bows to the chaos of bureaucratic overreach and the lawlessness at our borders.

A New Low for Religious Liberty: Church Doors Closed by Fear of ICE

In a move that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino announced that parishioners are no longer bound by the centuries-old Catholic obligation to attend Sunday Mass. Why? Because the very government sworn to protect religious freedom is now sending agents to detain people on church property—transforming places of worship into hunting grounds for bureaucrats. This isn’t a weather emergency, nor is it a pandemic. It’s the direct result of a government that has lost control of its borders and, in the process, trampled on the First Amendment rights of its own citizens and lawful residents.

Churches have long been considered sanctuaries, a last refuge for the vulnerable. Now, the climate of fear is so pervasive that even the act of worshipping God must take a back seat to avoiding detention in the church parking lot. And while the Department of Homeland Security insists that no agents entered the sacred buildings themselves—claiming the arrests happened in the parking lot—does anyone really believe that distinction matters to a terrified family weighing whether to leave their home on Sunday morning?

How Did We Get Here? Border Chaos, Bureaucratic Bumbling, and the Erosion of Trust

The backdrop to this nightmare is the Biden-Harris administration’s historic failure at the border, with millions of illegal crossings and hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens now roaming the country. According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, border encounters since 2021 have exploded to nearly 11 million, a stark contrast to the 3.1 million recorded from 2017 to 2020. Arrests of aliens with criminal convictions have doubled, and ICE is tracking over 650,000 criminal aliens, many of whom are free in the interior. That doesn’t even count the roughly two million “gotaways” who slipped in undetected, thanks in part to inoperable border surveillance cameras.

As a result, communities like San Bernardino—already stretched thin—are left to pick up the pieces. Local law enforcement and church leaders now scramble to reassure parishioners that their faith community will stand with them, even as federal authorities ramp up enforcement. The trust that once existed between government and the governed, between parish and public servants, is eroding before our eyes. And the only thing rising faster than the fear is the level of frustration among law-abiding citizens who see their family values and religious traditions being sacrificed on the altar of political incompetence and ideological extremism.

Who Benefits? Not the Faithful, Not Taxpayers, Not the Rule of Law

Let’s be clear: the only people benefiting from this manufactured crisis are those who profit from chaos. The open-border zealots get to claim the moral high ground, pretending they’re protecting families while ignoring the real consequences for communities forced to shoulder the burden. Meanwhile, churches that once thrived as cornerstones of faith and community are hollowed out by fear, with attendance plummeting and donations drying up. The dispensation granted by Bishop Rojas may provide temporary relief for immigrant families, but it sets a dangerous precedent—one where religious practice is dictated not by faith or tradition, but by politicians and bureaucrats who have failed at their most basic responsibilities.

Other dioceses are now watching closely, some offering home Masses and legal guidance, others weighing similar dispensations. Catholic leaders and advocacy groups are split—some praise the move as compassionate, others worry it will erode communal worship and parish cohesion for years to come. Meanwhile, legal experts highlight the unprecedented tension between the church’s historic sanctuary role and the federal government’s aggressive enforcement tactics.

The American Church at a Crossroads: Will We Defend Faith, Family, and Freedom?

This story is about more than one bishop or one diocese. It’s about the future of religious liberty in America. When government overreach and border chaos force the faithful to stay home, our most cherished freedoms hang in the balance. The Constitution isn’t just a piece of parchment—it’s a lifeline for every citizen who believes this country stands for something higher. If we let fear drive people from their churches, if we allow bureaucrats to decide when and how we worship, we’re surrendering not just our rights, but our identity as a nation built on faith, family, and freedom.

So the next time you hear a politician talk about compassion or justice, ask them this: What kind of justice is it when families are too afraid to gather and pray? What kind of compassion is it when churches are forced to choose between their traditions and the safety of their flock? And when will we say enough is enough—and demand a government that secures our borders, respects our faith, and upholds the Constitution for everyone?

Sources:

STARTLING STATS FACTSHEET: FY2025 Begins with Over 140,000 Border Encounters Nationwide, Worsening Public Safety Crisis Under Biden-Harris Administration

Border crossings plunge to lowest levels in decades: New data – Axios

Migrant crossings at U.S.-Mexico border stay at historically low …

100 Days of The Most Secure Border in American History