We were able to get several congressional members to support the cause and that the issue has reached the desk of the Vice President. Also, the Ashcroft law firm that were hired for this cause is meeting at the White House tomorrow. We are also gathering more congressional leaders to sign a petition that is being sent to John F. Kelly, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, to help stop the raids
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“To all the faithful of the Chaldean Community,
Please disregard all the different statements that claim to say what I said, this is my first official communication to the Chaldean Community.
Yesterday was a very strange and painful day for our community in America. With the many Chaldeans that were awakened by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and consequently picked up for deportation, there is a lot of confusion and anger.
What the Church has been doing is working with the many agencies to try to stop this bleeding. We are currently contacting and working with the following:
State Department
Senators and Congressmen(women)
The Iraqi Embassy
Other agencies where an injunction may be filed to keep anyone from being deportedÂ
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Talking points that we are bringing up:
The Church does not oppose justice, all hardened criminals that are a danger to society should be picked up.
Many who were picked up are not hardened criminals but for the last decades have been great citizens
The Genocide bill that was just passed by Congress last week to protect Christians goes against this very thing.
This will take a lot of effort but acting in disrespectful ways in front of the federal building only bring harm and not good. We understand the pain that many members of our community are going through but motional outbursts will not bring change.
Please get the official statements from this source and no other.
Thanks and let’s pray for God’s blessings to rain down on us,
Bishop Francis Kalabat
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“It has been rumored that our Church signed documents regarding the deportation issue. To my (Bishop Francis Kalabat) capacity, as a permanent member of the church synod, I would like to formally state that this is NOT true, and that was no signed document or any type of agreement made with the Iraqi government or anyone else, that would allow the deportation of Chaldeans to Iraq. There was no such thing discussed, signed, or issued.Â
For further updates on this situation as they become available, please follow my official Facebook page, as well as the St.Thomas_Chaldean_Diocese_USA Â Instagram. “
Thank you, and God Bless,
Bishop Francis Kalabat
