About 30 families at Sagrado Corazon have had members infected by the virus, Father David Ramirez said. There also have been families at St. Luke Church in Smyrna and St. John Vianney Church in Gallatin that have been directly affected by the virus.

"The administration's efforts to effectively end asylum have been met with a massive outpouring of opposition from the public, particularly the interfaith community," said the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.

The Trump administration backed down from a move to strip visas from students taking classes online, but colleges must be vigilant in protecting their international guests, writes Drew Roberts of Santa Clara University.

As a result of a public outcry and pressure, federal immigration authorities had agreed to rescind the directive and "return to the status quo."

The faithful must stand against measures that dehumanize asylum seekers and welcome immigrants among us.

In a moving ceremony at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, Cardinal Timothy Dolan blessed the cremated remains of Mexican nationals who had worked in city hospitals at the height of the pandemic and subsequently died from the virus before they were flown back to Mexico for burial.