SAN DIEGO (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop-designate Michael Pham, who was recently appointed by Pope Leo XIV to lead the Diocese of San Diego, sent a letter encouraging diocesan clergy and faith leaders to appear at a federal courthouse later this month and “stand in solidarity” with migrants and refugees facing immigration hearings.

In the June 11 letter signed by Pham and Auxiliary Bishops Ramon Bejanaro and Felipe Pulido, the bishop-designate invited all diocesan priests and lay faith leaders to commemorate “World Refugee Day” on June 20 by attending federal court hearings with migrants and refugees who are facing deportation. Since President Trump returned to the White House, the U.S. bishops have repeatedly made statements criticizing his administration’s immigration policies and in turn have been criticized for their alleged aiding of illegal immigration.

“We know that migrants and refugees find themselves in the difficult predicament of being called to appear, which is what the government asks of them, and then being given orders for expedited removal from our country,” Pham’s letter read.

“This group of priests and faith leaders will simply be present during this process as it has been experienced that the presence of faith leaders makes a difference in how the migrants are treated,” the letter continued. “Unfortunately, it will most likely not change the outcome.”

Pope Leo’s first US episcopal appointment, San Diego’s Bishop-designate Pham, a Vietnamese refugee, invites priests and faith leaders to “stand in solidarity” with migrants at courthouse on June 20, as they make court appearances. pic.twitter.com/s3oPQeFcK9

— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) June 11, 2025

Pham’s letter also noted that Masses would be celebrated across the diocese “dedicated to our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

The letter notably makes no mention of whether the migrants whom the diocese’s clergy are urged to support entered the country illegally or have committed other crimes. The Catholic Church has consistently taught that nations have a right to control their borders and immigrants are obliged to respect the laws of the country in which they are received.

READ: USCCB guidelines for immigration reform confuse Church doctrine with policy preferences

The diocese also recently condemned an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in San Diego without clarifying whether the targets of the raid were legal or illegal immigrants.

Pham became the first American bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV last month to succeed heterodox Cardinal Robert McElroy as the head of the Diocese of San Diego.

An immigrant himself, Pham fled Vietnam with his family at age 13 as the country suffered under Communism. They eventually relocated to San Diego, where Pham was ordained and has lived out his priesthood.

READ: Pope Leo XIV appoints auxiliary bishop of McElroy to lead San Diego diocese

LifeSiteNews reached out to the Diocese of San Diego for comment but did not receive a response as of publication time.

Since Trump began his second non-consecutive term in January, several American bishops, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), have spoken out against his immigration policies. The USCCB, along with Catholic Charities, has also been sharply criticized for its alleged aiding of illegal immigration.

Catholic Charities manages the day-to-day care for many unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and, along with the USCCB, has received a whopping $449 million from the U.S. government to shelter and transport unaccompanied immigrant children over the years.

Shortly after returning to office, Trump signed the executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” that stipulated the removal of foreign nationals in violation of immigration laws and the review of funds to NGOs, including the USCCB and Catholic Charities, that support or provide services to illegal aliens.

Shortly after signing that order, the Trump administration issued a major blow to both organizations by placing a 90-day freeze on foreign aid dispersed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides significant funding along with other NGOs backing abortion and the “LGBTQ” agenda.

READ: Trump admin considering overhaul of woke USAID to advance American interests: report

The USCCB responded to the freeze by suing the administration over the previously committed funds. The State Department, in turn, canceled its multimillion-dollar refugee resettlement contracts with the USCCB, prompting the USCCB to end its migrant resettlement contracts with the government.