The Catholic Church in Mexico is accusing its government of submitting to Donald Trump's immigration plans, labelling the measure 'terrorism'.
Church figures accused officials of only making 'declarations and promises, adding that their reactions were lukewarm, that they showed fear and even worse, submission'.
An editorial in the Church's From the Faith weekly magazine was entitled 'Migrant Terrorism' and criticised President Trump's plans to deport millions of undocumented migrants in the United States.
'What Mr Trump does is not only apply inhuman legalism, but a real act of terror,' it read.
The crackdown was ordered on Tuesday and will affect Mexicans among the estimated 11 million unregistered migrants in the US. The new measures make it easier for US Border Patrol and immigration officers to quickly deport any illegal immigrants with children one of very few exceptions.
But despite the order's threat, US homeland security secretary John Kelly and secretary of state Rex Tillerson promised Mexican minister no 'mass deportations' or use of military force against migrants in a meeting last Thursday, according to AFP.
The Mexican government has been infruriated by Trump's suggestion they would pay for a border wall to keep unregistered Mexican migrants out of the US. The foreign minister has threated to impose tariffs on US products if the US taxes Mexican imports to pay for the wall.
In another show of strength Mexico has vowed not to accept deportees from the US if they are not Mexican nationals.
