The Most Rev. Michael Pham, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, center, leads an interfaith group as they stand in the lobby of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building to be present during immigration hearings on June 20, 2025, in San Diego, California. Bishop Susan Brown Snook, fourth from left, represented the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. Photo: Gregory Bull/AP
[Episcopal News Service] San Diego Bishop Susan Brown Snook joined Catholic San Diego Bishop-designate Michael Pham and 11 other faith leaders standing in solidarity with immigrants at the city’s federal courthouse on World Refugee Day, June 20.
“I believe that we as people of faith are called to draw the world’s attention to the plight of refugees and immigrants and to be a voice of conscience to our country,” Snook told Episcopal News Service in a June 23 phone interview. “We, as people of faith, should be the voice that asks our country to grant mercy and justice and compassion to people who suffer from all over the world.”
Pham, who previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Catholic diocese, was appointed bishop in May. On June 11, Pham and the diocese’s two auxiliary bishops, the Most Rev. Ramón Bejarano and the Most Rev. Felipe Pulido, announced the planned federal court visitation in a joint letter. Snook and Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego were the two non-Catholic faith leaders who participated.
Before going to the courthouse, the faith leaders and other members of the faith community gathered at St. Joseph Cathedral for Mass, where Pham shared his story of fleeing his home country, Vietnam, as a refugee in 1980 with his mother and siblings by boat. They went three days without food and water before they were rescued by a tanker and sent to a refugee camp in Malaysia. Pham emigrated to the United States in 1981, settling in Minnesota before relocating to San Diego in 1985.
“It’s a great story showing a great commitment to the cause of welcoming oppressed people to this country,” Snook said.
Snook said she has been working closely with the Catholic diocese since her episcopate began in 2019, but more so this year because of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to deport the more than 10 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, though many who’ve been arrested and deported were in the United States legally. Since Trump took office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been violently arresting immigrants at courthouses, workplaces and other public and private places. In San Diego last month, armed and masked federal agents in full tactical gear raided a popular Italian restaurant during the day using flash-bang grenades to arrest undocumented workers.
As of June 20, 55,765 immigrants are in ICE custody, according to the latest data compiled by NBC News.
“Our country has long been a place of welcome and asylum for those who are suffering and whose lives are in danger in other places, and we must continue that,” Snook said.
Many undocumented immigrants come to the United States to pursue work opportunities that are typically viewed as undesirable for U.S. citizens, like construction, agriculture, meat processing, and the hospitality and service sectors. Nearly half of all farmworkers in the United States are undocumented, according to the Center for Migration Studies of New York.
After the Mass, Snook and the 12 other religious leaders arrived at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building to observe four cases and to offer assistance to the immigrants after their cases were heard. Hassane assisted one Muslim immigrant who needed help getting back legal documents that had been confiscated.
“Our purpose was not to protest or to cause a scene or interfere in any way, but to simply be a presence and a sign of care and compassion for the people going through the process and assisting as they left the courtroom,” Snook said.
Even though federal agents were at the buildings with photos and profiles of immigrants to arrest, no arrests were made that day. Snook said she “firmly believes” the faith leaders’ presence made a difference.
“I think it was very significant that we gave a message to the public that God loves all people, and that we as people of faith are called to respect the dignity of every human being,” Snook said. “Of course, we respect the legal process, but we also believe that people should be treated with humanity and compassion, and that refugees and immigrants are beloved people of God, who are our neighbors, and we should listen to their stories and value them for who they are.”
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.