The bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, one of the largest in the nation, is exempting those of the faith from attending Sunday mass due to federal immigration raids.

It’s the latest move among some leaders of faith in California who’ve taken public stances in support of immigrants in recent weeks, from an open letter from Episcopal bishops in the state to religious leaders attending immigration court proceedings in San Diego.

Bishop Alberto Rojas issued a decree exempting members of the Diocese of San Bernardino from attending Sunday mass should they have a “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions.” The Diocese of San Bernardino, which covers San Bernardino and Riverside counties, said it’s the sixth-largest diocese in the nation and serves a Catholic population of one million.

Kara Wahlin of Palm Desert holds a sign saying 'Abolish Ice!' while protesting President Trump's immigration policies in downtown Cathedral City, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

The decree, Rojas said, is out of recognition that immigration enforcement, including from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “may deter some members of our diocese from fulfilling the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation,” according to the decree shared on Facebook.

He said that such fear “constitutes a grave inconvenience that may impede the spiritual good of the faithful.”

Rojas encouraged those exempted to practice other ways to maintain their faith, including participating in televised or online masses from the diocese.

The decree also reminds that pastors, parochial vicars, and other pastoral ministers are “to provide compassionate support to those affected by this fear, ensuring that they feel welcomed and safe in our communities.”

Diocese of San Bernardino previously offered support to immigrant community

Rojas’ decree comes as federal immigration enforcement has reportedly occurred on church grounds in California. Earlier this year, the Trump administration rescinded a policy that prevented such actions from occurring at “sensitive locations” like places of worship.

Rojas previously called on political leaders in late June to approach immigration enforcement in a way that “respects human rights” and "dignity" and that “builds toward a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”

“We have seen a change and an increase in immigration enforcement in our region and specifically in our diocese,” Rojas said in a statement in June. “Authorities are now seizing brothers and sisters indiscriminately, without respect for their right to due process and their dignity as children of God. I say once again to our immigrant communities who are bearing the trauma and injustice of these tactics that your Church walks with you and supports you.”

How have other faith leaders in California responded to ICE?

The Episcopal bishops of El Camino Real, San Joaquin, California, San Diego, Los Angeles and Northern California released an open letter on June 10 addressing the Los Angeles anti-ICE protests.

“In all six of our dioceses, people are concerned and fearful about the denial of due process for those detained and the potential for ICE raids targeting beloved community institutions and people working to support their families,” the letter said.

“People feel angry and threatened that the haven they sought in our communities is no longer safe,” the letter continued. “US citizens and legal residents feel deep grief at losing beloved friends and family members. Children whose parents are deported face uncertain futures. In our churches, we strive to protect our members who are at risk.”

The bishops wrote that the Episcopal church upholds a “tradition of advocating for civil rights and supporting the vulnerable.”

“We stand for fierce love and for justice that leads to peace, as well as societal practices that preserve human dignity,” they said. “With God’s help, we will speak and pray on behalf of all in this situation.”

Last month, Bishop Michael Pham of the Diocese of San Diego, Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego, and other religious leaders visited a federal immigration court in San Diego to stand in solidarity with people making court appearances, Courthouse News Service reported.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that “Pham and others witnessed ICE agents in the hallway as they entered the courtrooms,” but that the federal agents eventually left; People with immigrant support organizations noted a difference due to the presence of the faith leaders.

A statement posted on the Diocese of San Diego’s website likened caring for immigrants and refugees to a church teaching requiring people to protect “the most vulnerable,” such as the elderly.

And Resident Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank of the Los Angeles area of the United Methodist Church called on followers of Jesus Christ to “stand with those being ripped apart from their families” and called on people in power to protect immigrants and to use their time and expertise to “pass laws to correct the unjust system we have inherited” in a statement on June 7.

“Pray for the ICE agents to lay down their weapons,” Escobedo-Frank said in her call to action to people of faith. “Pray for the leaders of our world, asking that they would seek peace above all.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: SoCal bishop exempts attending mass due to ICE. What are other religious leaders doing?