Despite being partially blocked by a federal judge, President Trump’s proposal to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in places of worship is raising concerns about religious freedom and sanctuary.
Early into his first 100 days, Trump rescinded a 2011 policy that prohibited immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as courthouses, schools and churches. The White House says eliminating the policy would allow federal authorities to use “common sense” in apprehending immigrants that were hiding in churches.
However, in February, a federal judge blocked immigration raids from Quaker, Baptist and Sikh places of worship. Another lawsuit involving 27 religious groups, including Jewish and Christian faiths, is still ongoing.
In downtown Washington, D.C., many walk through the doors of the historic Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle every day. The church, which celebrates Mass in Spanish every Sunday, declined to comment on this story, but some parishioners were quick to voice their opposition to what the White House is doing.
“Now people can’t even go to church to pray without feeling scared,” said Kevin Pulgarin, translated from Spanish. “Like the saying goes, ‘we all pay for some,’ but not all of us are bad.”
Others, like Logan Cole, argue that large-scale deportations are a necessary step for the country.
“If they are illegal and they are worth deporting, then we should get them where they are,” said Cole. “But I don’t think we should be focusing on places of worship. I’m not a pious Catholic, I’m working towards that. I do love everyone, but loving everyone doesn’t mean loving them in my country.”
The Trump administration initially averaged nearly 600 detainments daily, but removals have struggled to keep pace, with around 23,000 arrests in February leading to just 18,000 deportations, down from 38,000 removals in January.
