ICE May be Planning to Target Churches This Christmas

Recent reporting indicates that agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — may be planning a coordinated, nationwide push to conduct ICE raids at Spanish-speaking churches during the Christmas season. Even the suggestion of such an effort has sparked deep concern throughout immigrant faith communities.

According to three attorneys within the Department of Justice (DOJ), internal briefings have circulated outlining potential operations specifically targeting Spanish-speaking Christian congregations across the country. Their warnings gained attention after a series of coordinated enforcement actions in Charlotte, North Carolina — resulting in 81 arrests, including one made on church grounds — appeared to mirror the tactics described in those briefings.

In New England, multiple pastors report receiving unexpected visits from individuals identifying themselves as ICE agents or FBI officials. These visitors asked for sensitive information about congregants, including names, home addresses, and attendance patterns. Some churches also received mailers advertising the CBP Home Mobile App, a tool DHS uses to promote so-called “voluntary self-deportation.”

Even unverified rumors are causing major disruption. In Atlanta, a pastor of a small Latino Pentecostal congregation says he received a viral WhatsApp voice message warning of imminent mass raids. Within hours, anxious church members were asking for guidance. He addressed the situation that same evening, urging calm and caution, but other pastors in the region canceled services altogether.

The emotional strain is widespread. Parents are hesitant to bring children to Advent celebrations. Congregations have scaled back public ministry and outreach out of fear that being seen could put people at risk. Pastors say even long-time members — including those with legal status — worry about being separated from their families.

For generations, churches have served as sanctuaries: places of refuge, worship, and care.

Any effort to monitor or target these sacred spaces would break sharply from American religious tradition and undermine core Christian commitments to hospitality, compassion, and the protection of the vulnerable.

As Advent and Christmas approach, a season meant for peace, family, and hope instead carries a sense of uncertainty for many immigrant believers. The Church’s historic call to uphold the dignity of the stranger and love one’s neighbor remains as urgent as ever. In this holy season, faith communities are reminded of their responsibility to stand with those who are most at risk — offering solidarity, clarity, and unwavering support.