Vance: Catholic Bishops Have 'Not Been a Good Partner' in Immigration Enforcement

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has “not been a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement.”

Partial transcript as follows:

BRENNAN: So still count on the federal government, but watch that space. Let me ask you about another area that you campaigned on quite a lot, and there was a flurry of activity on. And that has to do with immigration.

VANCE: Sure.

BRENNAN: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week condemned some of the executive orders signed by President Trump, specifically those allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enter churches and to enter schools. Do you personally support the idea of conducting a raid or enforcement action in a church service, at a school?

VANCE: Well, let me, let me address this. Of course, if you have a person who is convicted of a violent crime, whether they’re an illegal immigrant or a non-illegal immigrant, you have to go and get that person to protect the public safety. That’s not unique to immigration. But let me just address the- this particular issue, Margaret. Because as a practicing Catholic, I was actually heartbroken by that statement. And I think that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We’re going to enforce immigration law. We’re going to protect the American people.

BRENNAN: Yeah.

VANCE: Donald Trump promised to do that. And I believe the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, if they’re worried about the humanitarian costs of immigration enforcement, let them talk about the children who have been sex trafficked because of the wide open border of Joe Biden-

BRENNAN: –So you- you personally support–

VANCE: Let them talk about–

BRENNAN: –them going into–

VANCE: –people like Laken Riley–

BRENNAN: –schools and churches?

(END CROSSTALK)

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: –who are brutally murdered. I support us doing law enforcement against violent criminals, whether they’re illegal immigrants or anybody else, in a way that keeps us safe. Let me ask this question, Margaret–

MARGARET BRENNAN: But, but the–

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: –let’s separate the immigration issue. If you had a violent murderer in a school, of course I want law enforcement–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Of course.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: –to go and get that person out.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Of course.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: So then what’s the point of the question?

MARGARET BRENNAN: You changed the regulation this week, that’s the point of the question.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Exactly, to–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Giving the authority to go into churches–

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: –Yes, exactly–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –and go into schools–

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: We empowered law enforcement to enforce the law everywhere, to protect Americans–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –But that also has a knock on effect- a chilling effect, arguably, to people to not send their kids to school.

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: I- I desperately hope it has a chilling effect–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –In the churches–

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: –on illegal immigrants coming into our country.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You think the US Conference of Catholics Bishops is- are actively hiding criminals from law enforcement?

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: I think the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has, frankly, not been a good partner in common sense immigration enforcement that the American people voted for, and I hope, again, as a devout Catholic, that they’ll do better.

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