SALT LAKE CITY — The LDS Church says it’s “deeply troubled” by the separation of families at the U.S-Mexico border and is urging national leaders to fix the situation and find compassionate solutions.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ spokesman Eric Hawkins said in a statement Monday that the forced separations are “aggressive and insensitive” and especially harmful to the children.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long expressed its position that immigration reform should strengthen families and keep them together,” the statement reads.

“The forced separation of children from their parents now occurring at the U.S.-Mexico border is harmful to families, especially to young children. We are deeply troubled by the aggressive and insensitive treatment of these families. While we recognize the right of all nations to enforce their laws and secure their borders, we encourage our national leaders to take swift action to correct this situation and seek for rational, compassionate solutions.”

The statement aligns with the Utah-based religion’s past calls for a compassionate approach to immigration reform. Earlier this year, the church called on national leaders to support “dreamer” immigrants who the religion says have earned the right to continue to contribute positively to society.

Other religions including the U.S. conference of Catholic bishops have already condemned the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents at the border, which the U.S. has defended as enforcing the law.