"We are holding up the light," the sisters said, "against the sin of racism that is still alive and well in the Catholic Church today."

Catholic leaders have joined their voices with members of the Navajo Nation in opposing the Aug. 26 scheduled execution of Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on federal death row.

The decision was made after a surge in cases since classes resumed on Aug. 10.

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, California, said the administration’s action, announced July 28 in a memo issued by the Department of Homeland Security, was “irresponsible and recalcitrant.”

As the nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, university life is cautiously stepping back into the fray of bringing students, faculty and staff members back together under extreme restrictions.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld Nevada's limits on congregation sizes, denying a request by a Nevada church for permission to have larger gatherings that are currently permitted in the state's casinos, restaurants and other businesses.

“Counting the undocumented in the census and then denying them and the states in which they reside their rightful representation in Congress is counter to the Constitution and a grave injustice,” the statement said.

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 decision, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, said the administration had "the authority to provide exemptions from the regulatory contraceptive requirements for employers with religious and conscientious objections."

Sister Helen Prejean, a long-time advocate of abolishing the death penalty, has said that the Supreme Court has "abdicated its legal and moral responsibilities" in allowing executions to proceed in various cases.