A Southern California bishop has taken the rare step of excusing Catholics from attending Sunday Mass, citing fear of immigration raids under the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration.

Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino issued the decree Tuesday, stating that Catholics unable to attend Sunday Mass or holy day Masses due to “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions” are dispensed from the obligation.

“In issuing this decree, I am guided by the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particularly those who face fear or hardship,” Bishop Rojas wrote.

The diocese, which serves around 1 million Catholics in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, is the sixth largest in the United States. Such dispensations are typically granted during wars, natural disasters, or pandemics, making Tuesday’s decision a highly unusual response to immigration enforcement activity.

The announcement followed reports of a federal immigration raid Monday at Los Angeles’s MacArthur Park, where Mayor Karen Bass appeared in person to demand an end to the operation.

“They need to leave, and they need to leave right now,” Bass said, calling the raid “unacceptable.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom also weighed in, saying the Trump administration’s tactics—including raids at courthouses and public spaces—are forcing people to choose between practicing their faith and risking detention.

“Freedom of religion? Not in Donald Trump’s America,” Newsom posted on X. “People now have to choose between their faith and their freedom.”

The White House rebutted Newsom’s criticism, pointing out that the governor closed churches during the COVID-19 pandemic while allowing other industries to remain open.

“This is rich coming from Gavin Newsom, who shuttered churches during the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened the movie industry, marijuana dispensaries, and other secular gathering places,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Catholic author and Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin praised the San Bernardino diocese’s decision, saying it underscored how unsafe even church spaces feel for immigrants.

“It is a dramatic sign that not even Catholic churches are considered safe places any longer. Where are the voices for religious freedom now?” Martin wrote on X.

The Diocese of San Bernardino joins other dioceses, including Nashville, which issued a similar decree in May as immigration enforcement ramped up.

“Our churches remain open to welcome and serve our parish communities, but no Catholic is obligated to attend Mass on Sunday if doing so puts their safety at risk,” the Nashville decree stated.

While churches in the Diocese of San Bernardino remain open for those who feel safe to attend, Bishop Rojas encouraged parishioners who remain home out of fear to engage in alternative spiritual practices, reminding them that God’s presence is not confined to a building.

For many Catholics caught in the middle of the immigration debate, this decree is both a relief and a somber reminder of the challenges facing immigrant communities who simply desire to worship freely without fear of detention.