ICE arrests take toll on DC churches

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 21, 2025 / 18:18 pm (CNA).

Catholic churches that serve Spanish-speaking communities in the Archdiocese of Washington have reported anxiety as encounters with immigration enforcement continue to function as a major aspect of the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital. 

Sacred Heart Shrine in Columbia Heights reported that six of its parishioners were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in recent weeks, including an usher who was on his way to evening Mass. Other parishes in the archdiocese have also expressed concern amid the current situation in the District.

This comes after the Trump administration announced Aug. 11 the deployment of federal agents and the National Guard in order to crack down on widespread crime in D.C.

Following an executive order from Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith, D.C. police officers have been permitted to notify ICE agents of encounters with undocumented migrants, resulting in tight collaboration between the two law enforcement agencies in the city. 

Sacred Heart Shrine’s pastor, Father Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, told Religion News Service that one of the parishioners detained by ICE was a man in marriage preparation, while another was in a confirmation class. 

Some of the detainees, the pastor noted, were stopped by immigration officials while on their way to the shrine for catechetical classes over the past several weeks. Bisoco estimated in the report that Mass attendance at his parish has dropped about 20% from 2,500 to less than 2,000 people.

The priest also said the parish WhatsApp chats “have been filled with immigration agent sightings and warnings to parish members.”

Agüero declined to comment to CNA on the story.

Last month, an ICE spokesperson told CNA: “While ICE is not subject to previous restrictions on immigration operations at sensitive locations, to include schools, churches, and courthouses, ICE does not indiscriminately take enforcement actions at these locations.”

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” the spokesperson noted, adding: “All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention, and, if found removable by final order, removed from the United States.”

According to the RNS report, attendance at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in the Petworth neighborhood of D.C. has also gone down. 

The communications director at Our Lady Queen of the Americas Parish, Kevin Arevalo, told CNA that “the parishioners that we have had coming to Sunday Mass have expressed concerns and fears over the situation here in D.C.”

Arevalo said there have not been any detentions on church grounds and that he is not aware of any parishioners being detained on their way to attend Mass at the parish or nearby. 

However, he noted several detentions he has heard of have taken place in neighborhoods like Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant, and many parishioners of Our Lady Queen of the Americas “have to go through those areas to get to our parish.” 

As such, Arevalo and the parish’s administrator, Father James Morrison, are currently preparing alternative ways to reach the community amid rising fears regarding immigration enforcement. 

“I know that most of them live pretty far and go out of their way to come here for our Masses and activities,” he said, “so we’re looking at using digital media and our channels, our online channels, to reach out to them and serve them in whatever best way possible we can.”

He concluded: “We definitely won’t stay quiet about this because our parish, the majority, is Hispanic-Latino community. So you want to make sure that we’re listening to them and we’re attentive to what they’re going through.”

At the time of publication, the Archdiocese of Washington has not responded to requests for comment. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) declined to comment.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/266095/ice-arrests-take-toll-on-dc-churches