DHS May Target Churches During Holiday Season

New reporting indicates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — both part of the Department of Homeland Security — may be considering a broad initiative to enter Spanish-speaking congregations during the holidays. Even the possibility of such activity has already unsettled immigrant communities nationwide.

According to three Department of Justice attorneys, internal briefings have circulated outlining potential enforcement actions taking place inside Spanish-speaking Christian churches. Their alarm grew after 81 coordinated arrests in Charlotte — including one carried out on church grounds — an event that mirrors the patterns sketched in those internal documents.

Faith leaders in New England report being contacted directly by individuals identifying themselves as ICE agents or FBI personnel asking for names, addresses, and attendance records of worshippers. Some churches also received mailers promoting a CBP mobile app tied to so-called “voluntary self-deportation,” deepening anxiety among their members.

These rumors and warnings have caused disruption. A single WhatsApp message about imminent ICE raids spread quickly through an Atlanta Pentecostal community, sparking fear and prompting several nearby congregations to cancel services. During that evening’s prayer gathering, the pastor urged his members to stay calm, yet the worry lingered.

The impact of these rumors and contacts is profound. Families are debating whether it’s safe to attend Christmas worship. Churches have reduced public ministries. Immigrants with full documentation fear being separated from their loved ones. Sacred spaces that have sheltered the vulnerable for centuries now feel fragile and exposed.

As Christians who affirm God’s call to protect both people and the Earth we share, these moments remind us how deeply our wellbeing is interconnected. Just as the health of the land suffers when fear drives people away from tending it, the spiritual soil of our communities erodes when worship becomes a place of anxiety rather than refuge.

Advent and Christmas are seasons meant to restore peace, dignity, and hope — seasons that invite us to welcome the stranger, honor the vulnerable, and seek renewal for all of God’s creation. Yet many immigrant families are stepping into these holy days weighed down by uncertainty.

Now more than ever, congregations are called to stand with those most at risk, cultivating communities where trust can take root again and where every person — like every living thing in God’s creation — can flourish in safety.