Leading U.S. Catholic bishops this week escalated their criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, calling new asylum-limiting rules “immoral” and rhetorically comparing the crackdown to abortion by saying it is “a right to life” issue.

One bishop from the U.S.-Mexico border region reportedly suggested “canonical penalties” – which could refer to withholding the sacrament of Communion – for Catholics involved in implementing the Trump policies.

The comments came as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – the organizing body of bishops – gathered for a biannual meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The topics of migration and asylum have long been a focus for the U.S. church; more than 50 percent of U.S. Catholics under the age of 30 are Latinos.

The statements, including by the Conference’s president, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, came two days after Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that fear of domestic violence or gang violence aren’t clear grounds for seeking asylum in the United States. Sessions said asylum claims have expanded too broadly.