Immaculate Conception Church, 2745 W. 44th St., turned into a TV studio March 19 when Noticias Telemundo taped the town hall “Latinos Venciendo el Miedo” (“Latinos Overcoming Fear”) inside the church.

Hosted by anchor José Díaz-Balart, the program featured commentary from Cardinal Cupich, along with questions from immigrants about the implementation of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy. Questions were directed at the four-person panel of Father Manuel Dorantes, pastor of Immaculate Conception; immigration attorney Alma Rosa Nieto; immigration activist Sister Norma Pimentel of the Missionaries of Jesus; and psychologist Jorge Partida.

More than a dozen children, teens and adults voiced their concerns, which aired nationally that evening on the Spanish-language channel Telemundo.

Several adults and children cried as  they shared their stories. One woman wept as she revealed her husband has a DUI on his record and asked if there are fast-track deportations for people who have committed this type of crime. He started drinking after their daughter was killed in the military, she said.

The immigration attorney said those “fast-track” deportations are applied to people who have less than two years in the country illegally, which was not the woman’s case. Dorantes told the mother to look to the church for support for herself and her husband through services offered through Catholic Charities and other groups.

An 11-year-old boy said he was a good student but didn’t think there was a point to trying when there wasn’t hope of a future in this country.

Many children and adults expressed fear over deportation. A few young people who are U.S. citizens asked what options they had to stay if their parents were deported.

To a high schooler, panelists said it was prudent to have a plan in place if that happens but to continue to finish school and attend college.

A mom cradled her sleeping daughter on her shoulder and asked what would happen to her daughters born in the United States if she was deported.

In closing remarks, Dorantes told the gathering of more than 200 people that those who suffer are God’s favorite sons and daughters. Immigrants suffer greatly and this is a nation of immigrants, he said.

Remember that immigrants are a resilient community and have the strength of warriors, Nieto told the gathering. Pimentel said that no one is alone on this journey. Partida cautioned parents to resist spreading a sense of fear in their children because what they experience psychologically at a young age they will carry for the rest of their lives. Parents must strive to provide a normal childhood for them.

At one point Cardinal Cupich addressed the viewers directly in Spanish.

“From this immigrant nation’s early days, the church has accompanied those who sought refuge from persecution, fled poverty and war in their homelands and came here, seeking to trade their labor and loyalty for citizenship,” he said. “Priests and religious came with these immigrants, sometimes on the same boats, so they could provide comfort in the familiar language and traditions of their home countries.”

Because our faith teaches that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, it will always stand up for and with the most vulnerable people, he said.

“I want to clearly state to the new immigrants in our midst: the church stands with you. We will speak out against prejudice and discrimination, we will provide the services, support and comfort we can and advocate and work for justice until it is achieved,” he said. “The church today is a place where you can feel at home. You are our family.”