WASHINGTON (RNS) — By now, some 1 million TikTok customers have considered a video posted on the social media platform final Wednesday (Jan. 22) warning folks away from the Manna Meals Heart distribution at Glenmont United Methodist Church, simply outdoors the nation’s capital in Maryland, claiming that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement company had been current there.
The issue: It isn’t true.
The Rev. Kelly Grimes, pastor of the multicultural church, which shares its sanctuary with Spanish- and French-speaking congregations, informed RNS that it took a number of days to trace down the reality: A person confessed he had noticed what he thought had been unmarked legislation enforcement automobiles and panicked — he had no indication ICE had been there. One other artificial the TikTok video, leaving Grimes and meals distribution leaders to take care of the worry and fallout.
Grimes is one in every of a number of leaders of homes of worship who spoke to RNS about preventing misinformation about potential ICE raids, attempting to stroll with their congregants whilst attendance is taking successful.
The Trump administration has promised to finish a coverage stopping ICE from arresting immigrants at homes of worship, colleges and hospitals, however to this point the one reported ICE arrest at a home of worship got here Sunday throughout a worship service at Iglesia Fuente de Vida (Fountain of Life Church) in Tucker, Georgia, because the sermon was ending.
Wilson Velásquez, an asylum-seeker who entered the U.S. in September 2022 together with his spouse and youngsters after going through threats from gangs in Honduras, was attending the church when his ICE ankle monitor started beeping, in accordance with The Atlanta Journal-Structure. When he stepped outdoors to keep away from disturbing the service, he was arrested by ICE brokers.
An indication concerning the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is posted on the window of a nook retailer on the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Jan. 20, 2025, within the predominantly Latino Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. (AP Picture/Erin Hooley)
ICE didn’t instantly reply to an RNS request for details about why Velásquez was arrested. In addition to Velásquez, not less than 20 others had been arrested within the Atlanta space Sunday, all of them asylum-seekers with ankle displays who had arrived within the U.S. between 2021 and 2023, in accordance with Atlanta-area Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara, who spoke to The Atlanta Journal-Structure. A lot of these arrested had legitimate work permits.
“We’re all in shock,” mentioned Agustin Quiles, a director of neighborhood affairs and authorities relations for the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Councils and Evangelical Establishments. Quiles mentioned that his group was nonetheless engaged on a response, however that they had been most involved about youngsters who could be impacted by the coverage change.
“ What are we going to do with the hundreds of kids which might be left behind?” he requested.
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the Nationwide Hispanic Christian Management Convention, who suggested President Donald Trump on immigration throughout his first time period, informed RNS that he had been assured by “those who know” that church buildings is not going to be raided by ICE and urged that anybody arrested in a church could be “the worst of the worst.”
“ I’ve seen Tom (Homan) cry concerning the lack of immigrant lives, particularly little youngsters,” Rodriguez mentioned of the White Home border czar’s “nice coronary heart.”
Samuel Rodriguez. (Courtesy picture)
Rodriguez mentioned that he’s attempting to deal with misinformation, as some pastors who’re members of the NHCLC have reported decrease Sunday attendance.
On Sunday at his personal megachurch in Sacramento, California, Rodriguez assured attendees that ICE raids “is not going to occur in our church” and that, regardless of his media appearances supporting Trump’s actions in opposition to unlawful immigration, “I don’t have to know who’s documented or undocumented.”
He added that he would proceed to struggle for a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” folks with out authorized standing dropped at the nation as youngsters, and to legalize “those that have been right here for many years, those that have labored onerous, who will not be depending on authorities subsidies, who’ve by no means even acquired a parking ticket, who love Jesus, and who love this nation.”
The Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president and founding father of the Nationwide Latino Evangelical Coalition, held a webinar Friday on Trump’s govt orders that was attended by 500 evangelical Christian leaders, a a lot increased turnout than NALEC webinars usually draw.
NALEC shared steerage, advising congregations to coach a spokesperson to speak clearly and respectfully to deescalate with ICE brokers and to coach youngsters’s pastors on learn how to reply if a raid occurs whereas youngsters are separated from their dad and mom for the service.
The group can also be distributing “Know Your Rights” playing cards in a number of languages for congregants and instructing congregations themselves about their authorized rights, clarifying that they’ve to permit ICE to enter into public worship areas, even after they don’t have a warrant, however not church colleges.
The Rev. Gabriel Salguero. (Picture courtesy of The Gathering)
However Salguero mentioned pastors’ issues don’t cease on the church property line. “Even when there will not be raids in church buildings, one of many issues is that ICE brokers can be parked close to church buildings ready,” Salguero mentioned.
Salguero additionally mentioned that, along with supporting congregations, NALEC would proceed its advocacy for immigration enforcement that targets violent criminals as an alternative of households.
5 Quaker teams have taken a distinct tack, submitting a lawsuit in opposition to the Division of Homeland Safety and newly confirmed Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem over the change within the sensitive-locations coverage. The go well with costs that the courtroom ought to declare unconstitutional any coverage permitting immigration enforcement at or close to homes of worship with out strict limits. The teams argued that the coverage change positioned a considerable burden on their non secular train.
Catholic bishops have made public statements in help of immigrants, advocating for coverage modifications and asserting that they’re spreading know-your-rights info, however RNS inquiries to diocesan workplaces about any additional preparations had been declined or went unanswered.
Imam Musa Kabba, who leads Masjid-ur-Rahmah, a big multicultural mosque within the Bronx with a majority West African immigrant inhabitants, informed RNS that the mosque is educating immigrant members of their rights, however added: “ We’re praying to our creator, our God Allah. We pray extra that he would possibly shield us. He would possibly present us a solution to get out of this, all horrible.”
Imam Musa Kabba. (Video display seize)
Kabba can also be advising his members to “ do the precise issues,” to proceed going to the masjid and work. “We don’t have any dangerous folks in our mosque,” he mentioned, however, he acknowledged, “you possibly can’t cease the federal government.”
Kabba is looking on the “good people who find themselves near” Trump to remind him of his immigrant roots in his family and the entire immigrants who’ve come to the U.S. as a result of “their nation is difficult.” “He would possibly take heed to them,” he mentioned.
Whether or not Trump will hear something from his allies in Congress is unclear.
When requested by Migrant Insider, a Substack that reviews on migration points on Capitol Hill and the White Home, whether or not church buildings ought to “be sanctuaries from immigration brokers,” a number of Democratic senators and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski expressed help for the earlier coverage that had prevented arrests at church buildings. 5 different Republican senators appeared to point that they wanted to provide the matter extra thought, whereas others expressed robust help for the coverage change.
Simply throughout the border in Maryland, the place Grimes is working to select up the items from the TikTok misinformation, she emphasised that “the worry is actual,” explaining her congregation is aware of those that have been detained who’re within the nation legally.
Grimes informed RNS: “ Because the United Methodist Church, we’ve social ideas that welcome the stranger. So what ICE is doing, and particularly their methodology, simply completely goes in opposition to what we because the United Methodist Church imagine.”
ICE just isn’t welcome on her campus as a result of “we’re following the mandate we’ve been given by Christ,” she mentioned.
“There’s all the time going to be individuals who as quickly as they hear ICE, they’re by no means going to that house once more. And I don’t blame them,” she mentioned.
