When Bishop John Barres arrived on Long Island to take over the Diocese of Rockville Centre a decade ago, he set ministering to Latino Catholics as one of his priorities.

Now, Latinos on Long Island are facing arguably their biggest threat in decades amid a nationwide crackdown on immigration. Advocates for the community are looking to Barres for the kind of leadership they are seeing emerge from the new pope.

Pope Leo XIV and other bishops are becoming more outspoken as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have roiled immigrant communities throughout the United States They are taking a stand as the Latino Catholic population continues to grow rapidly and may eventually make up a majority of the church in the United States and possibly on Long Island.

Leo, the first American p

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