Anti-Militarism: News & Updates

To commemorate the martyrdom of St Oscar Romero of El Salvador (who was assassinated on March 24 1980), Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso invited Catholics and “all people of conscience and goodwill” to join him for a prayer gathering and march for an end to mass detention.

In a letter he ordered to be read in all Catholic parishes in his diocese on March 15, Bishop Seitz called mass detention and mass deportation a “grave moral evil.”  He urged Catholics in El Paso who work for ICE and Border Patrol to obey God’s law over Trump’s.

His words are reminiscent of Archbishop Romero. In the final Sunday homily (sermon) he gave on March 23, 1980, Romero implored his fellow Salvadorans: “No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the law of God… No one has to observe an immoral law.I would like to make an appeal especially to the men of the army, and concretely to the National Guard, the police, and the troops. Brothers, you are of part of our own people. You are killing your own brother and sister campesinos, and against any order a man may give to kill, God’s law must prevail: «You shall not kill!»

As we remember Oscar Romero’s dedication to the Gospel of love and nonviolence on this 46th anniversary of his assassination, may God give us the courage to speak prophetically and act boldly to end the militarized repression we are experiencing in the US today.

On March 25, Ohio Immigrant Alliance  released a report about the Hotline’s first year of existence, using Hotline operations data, called “Connecting Ohio: The Ohio Immigrant Hotline’s First Year in Action.”

Click here to download the report. 

This article examines "Operation  Total Extermination", and how Trumps Donroe Doctrine is expected to cause a widespread US militarization across the Western Hemisphere. 

This Bloomberg Law article examines chief immigration judge Teresa Riley,  in her role in helping carry out Trump’s deportation agenda by pushing judges to deny more asylum claims and restrict bond hearings. It also raises concerns about her courtroom conduct and the impact of her guidance on immigrants’ chances of staying in the U.S.

The January attacks by the criminal organization Barrio 18 sought to destabilize the country to benefit well-connected political elites who have challenged the government of President Bernardo Arévalo. NACLA provides analysis of Guatemala's ongoing challenges and efforts to end impunity. 

This article exposes how El Salvador’s so‑called “security model,” praised internationally for reducing crime, is actually built on widespread human rights abuses