Chicago cardinal takes stand on immigration enforcement

CHICAGO (AP) — The Roman Catholic archdiocese in Chicago told its schools this week not to let federal immigration agents into their buildings without a warrant, in step with guidance given to hundreds of Chicago public schools last week in response to President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Kevin Appleby of the Center for Migration Studies, a Catholic policy institute that advocates for immigrants and refugees, said he was unaware of any other U.S. bishop sending such guidance in response to Trump's sweeping rewrite of immigration enforcement policies.

"Cardinal Cupich is adhering to the civil law but also sending a message to the Trump administration that his priests and archdiocese will not be assisting (the Department of Homeland Security) with their mass deportation program," said Appleby, who for years led the immigration office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.