Sat Jul 05 18:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The article argues that mass deportation efforts in the U.S., particularly in immigrant-rich areas like Los Angeles, are having a devastating and widespread social impact. These efforts, fueled by a shift towards more indiscriminate enforcement tactics, are not only affecting undocumented individuals but also their families, communities, and the broader economy. The author cites examples of disrupted lives, decreased attendance at religious services, and fear within communities. He also highlights the efforts of religious leaders and volunteers to support those affected. The author contends that these mass deportations are morally wrong, referencing Catholic teachings that condemn such practices as an “intrinsic evil” that poisons society. The author raises concerns about the potential for ethnic targeting within current immigration policies, and argues that today’s mass-deportation campaign seems to fit the Catholic description of “intrinsic evil”.

**News Article:**

**Mass Deportation Takes Heavy Toll on Communities, Faith Groups Sound Alarm**

Los Angeles, CA – A surge in immigration enforcement is having a far-reaching and devastating impact on communities, families, and faith-based organizations in immigrant-rich areas like Los Angeles, according to a theology professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Brett C. Hoover, writing for Commonweal, details the social disruption caused by mass deportation efforts. “The raids affect people’s family members, neighbors, and fellow parishioners,” Hoover writes.

Hoover sites the impact on local religious institutions. “At a recent parish confirmation celebration, twenty-five out of eighty teens did not show up for their own confirmation.” Immigration raids in Los Angeles and elsewhere have a much broader impact than many people realize, including on the faith life of Catholics.

The author says the detrimental societal effects come from a recent shift in enforcement tactics intended to drive up numbers of arrests and frighten people into “self-deporting.” In the past, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions mostly involved targeted raids on specific businesses and planned arrests of people with serious criminal records or outstanding deportation orders. Those types of actions continue, but ICE also now appears to be raiding random places where undocumented people are presumed to gather (like Home Depot), or even occasionally picking up people who “fit a certain profile” off the street.

With approximately 800,000 to 1 million undocumented individuals residing in Los Angeles County, and a significant portion of the workforce comprised of undocumented workers in key sectors like construction and agriculture, the impact of these enforcement actions is widespread. Businesses are closing, attendance at restaurants has plummeted, and religious education classes are shrinking, according to Hoover.

Religious leaders are stepping up to offer support. Parishioners contribute to GoFundMe efforts for families who have lost their only breadwinner. In one city, volunteers from a synagogue stood outside an immigrant Catholic parish during Sunday Mass to serve as witnesses so that if anything happened people would feel less scared and less alone.

Hoover argues that mass deportation is an “intrinsic evil” and a violation of human dignity, referencing Catholic teachings and Pope John Paul II’s condemnation of such practices. He raised concerns about the disproportionate targeting of Latin American immigrants and restrictions on citizens from specific countries.

“All of the disruptions to life in Los Angeles, including those empty pews, are proving him right,” Hoover concludes.

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