Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, stepped into the center of a heated national debate on October 13, 2025, as the city grappled with an intensifying wave of immigration raids and a community on edge. Speaking before a packed audience at the Union League Club, Cupich delivered his most extensive remarks yet on the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement operation, known as "Midway Blitz," which began in September and has since sent shockwaves through Chicago’s neighborhoods, schools, and churches.
The cardinal’s words landed at a moment when fear and uncertainty were palpable across the city. As reported by WLS and Axios, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had recently apprehended alleged immigrants at school drop-offs and even targeted places of worship, including staking out St. Jerome’s in Rogers Park during a Spanish-speaking mass. The resulting tension was so severe that schools in Lincoln Square went on lockdown, and attendance at mass—especially in Latino communities—plummeted as families grew too afraid to step outside, even for groceries or medical care.
Against this fraught backdrop, Cupich did not mince words. "Their dignity as parents must be taken into account before they are ripped away in full sight from their children, who are now citizens, and hauled away as criminals," he declared, as cited by WLS. He condemned the administration’s aggressive tactics as "unnecessary and intolerable," asserting that they were "intended to terrorize." Cupich’s call was clear: the safety of the United States should not come at the expense of violating human dignity.
His remarks echoed the recent exhortations of Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, who had urged U.S. bishops to speak out more forcefully and compassionately in defense of immigrants. According to coverage from Axios and local outlets, the pope described the treatment of immigrants in the U.S. as "inhuman," and drew a sharp line between being "pro-life" and supporting policies that inflict suffering on vulnerable families. As the pope put it, "Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion,' but says 'I’m in favor of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life. So someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhumane treatment of immigrants who are in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life."
Cupich, presiding over the third largest Roman Catholic diocese in the country, underscored the church’s duty to provide a moral and ethical voice in these debates, even as he insisted that the church should not become a partisan actor. "It is up to us — citizens and communities such as the churches — to raise their voices to ensure that the safety of a nation does not come at the expense of the violations of human dignity," he said during the Union League Club luncheon, as reported in multiple sources. He further warned of the dangers of nativistic rhetoric and the tendency to disparage immigrants, stating, "When we begin to diminish the dignity of people by either categorizing them as criminals or talking about them as lower class of humanity, which has been part of our nation's history, then we diminish ourselves as well as them."
As ICE operations continued, the city’s response was anything but passive. Demonstrators flooded the immigration processing and detention facility in Broadview, where 15 protesters were arrested over the weekend, according to Axios. The protests grew so intense that a federal judge ordered the removal of protective fencing at the facility by October 14, even as the mayor of Broadview issued an executive order shrinking the protest zone, citing safety and traffic concerns. The legal wrangling didn’t stop there: the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that allowed National Guard troops to remain in Illinois but prohibited their deployment until further arguments could be heard, a temporary restraining order set to expire on October 23.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, speaking on ABC News’ "This Week," expressed cautious optimism about the courts’ involvement, saying, "We hope to continue to win. Look, we've got to rely on the courts to do the right thing. I realize that sometimes that's risky business, especially when some have been appointed by Donald Trump." Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" to advocate for deploying the National Guard to combat crime in Chicago, arguing, "there are places in Chicago where people are afraid to take their children for fear of gun violence, for fear of gang drive-by shootings."
The debate over the National Guard’s role highlighted the broader clash of perspectives. Supporters of the administration’s crackdown pointed to concerns about crime and the need to protect law enforcement officers conducting raids. Critics, including Cupich and many local leaders, argued that the militarized approach only deepened fear and division, particularly among the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Cupich’s message, however, was as practical as it was moral. He pointed to the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in America and highlighted their vital contributions to the economy. "For over many decades, we as a nation have sent the clear message that we want and need their work in jobs no one else wants to take," he told the crowd, as reported by WLS. He cautioned against the creation of "false narratives that most of the undocumented are a danger to the community," insisting that such rhetoric both misrepresents reality and undermines the nation’s values.
At the same time, the archbishop acknowledged the complexity of the situation and the importance of upholding the law. Joined at the Union League Club by immigration attorney John Heiderscheidt, Cupich discussed the legal, ethical, and moral dimensions of the ongoing deportation campaign. He emphasized that keeping the nation safe and respecting human dignity "are not mutually exclusive. In fact, one cannot exist without the other."
The church’s involvement in the immigration debate has not been without controversy. Cupich’s decision to honor Senator Dick Durbin for his commitment to immigration reform drew criticism from some church members due to Durbin’s pro-choice stance. Yet, Pope Leo XIV defended the move, reiterating the need for compassion and consistency in the church’s pro-life teachings.
For many Chicagoans, the events of the past weeks have brought the national immigration debate close to home. The images of ICE agents at school gates, the stories of families hiding in fear, and the sight of protesters clashing with authorities outside detention centers have all left an indelible mark on the city’s conscience. As Cupich reminded his audience, "We have to call that out when it happens and make sure that, in fact, we don't tolerate that kind of language and speech."
As the legal battles continue and the city waits for the next court ruling, Chicago’s leaders, faith communities, and residents remain locked in a struggle over the meaning of safety, dignity, and belonging. The outcome may shape not just the future of immigration policy, but the very identity of the city itself.
