Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino has issued an extraordinary decree dispensing the faithful from their obligation to attend Sunday and holy-day Masses, citing “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions.” The order, dated 9 July, follows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests on two parish properties and applies to the diocese’s 1.5 million Catholics, one of the largest Catholic populations in the United States. Invoking his authority under Canon Law, Rojas said the threat of detention constitutes a “grave inconvenience” that impedes worshippers’ spiritual good. He encouraged parishioners who stay home to maintain their religious practice through televised liturgies, personal prayer, Scripture reading and devotions such as the Rosary. The dispensation is open-ended and will remain in force until the bishop determines that the risk has subsided. The move underscores mounting anxiety in immigrant communities after the Trump administration intensified immigration raids in Southern California in early June. Federal agents have detained roughly 1,600 people in the Los Angeles area, and church officials report sharp declines in Mass attendance as families avoid public settings for fear of arrest. While the Diocese of Nashville issued a similar, though less formal, statement in May, neighboring dioceses in Los Angeles and Orange have stopped short of a dispensation, opting instead to expand home visits and legal-aid outreach. Rojas, a Mexican-born immigrant, urged political leaders to abandon enforcement tactics on sacred grounds and pursue comprehensive immigration reform. Created in 1978, the San Bernardino Diocese spans Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where Latinos make up more than half the population. Rojas said the decree is intended to signal that “the Church stands with and walks with” immigrant parishioners until they can worship without fear.