RNS Morning Report - Inside the parish-led fight against a $123M ICE facility in Texas

Inside the parish-led fight against a $123M ICE facility in Texas   The parishes that won Socorro, Texas, running water in the 1980s are now fighting ICE’s plan to convert warehouses into a mega detention center. And the town’s water system is an issue again.   RNS partnered with El Paso Matters’ Robert Moore to bring you the story.   Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a $38 billion plan to buy and retrofit warehouses to convert them into sprawling detention facilities to serve the administration’s mass deportation program for undocumented immigrants.   That included three warehouses on the edge of Socorro that DHS initially said would hold up to 8,500 immigrants awaiting deportation, which would have made it one of the largest immigrant detention centers in the country.   But thanks to local residents – many organized by local Catholic parishes and who voiced concerns about human dignity and water usage – the plans are being scaled down.         Top Stories Inside the parish-led fight against a $123M ICE facility in Texas SOCORRO, Texas (RNS and El Paso Matters) — The parishes that won Socorro, Texas, running water in the 1980s are now fighting ICE's plan to convert warehouses into a mega detention center. And the town's water system is at issue again. This historic divinity school is offering the first doctoral degree in ‘AI and Moral Agency’ (RNS) — Shaw University Divinity School hopes to be the first theological school accredited by the Association of Theological Schools to offer a doctoral degree in AI. Its first cohort begins in January. Released Texas pastors say immigration agents threatened family separation (RNS) — At a Sunday service after their release, which was backed by a range of Latino evangelical groups, the Assemblies of God pastors urged Christians to speak out for immigrants. Opinion New York rabbi: Why I lied to my mom when she asked if I felt safe (RNS) — Antisemitic attacks are rising in New York and in the US. So is the danger of believing that's the whole story. One year later, people of faith should reckon with Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ (RNS) — These policy choices are not merely budget decisions. They reveal our national priorities. ICYMI Detained pastor couple had religious worker visas, Assemblies of God leaders say (RNS) — Pastor Nepthali Zozaya Saucedo, 36, said he and his wife, who came to the U.S. legally, were repeatedly pressured to sign voluntary departure papers but that they had refused. South African faith leaders respond to prolonged anti-migrant violence  (RNS) — Churches are calling for restraint, humanitarian support and law and order as xenophobic unrest deepens. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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