Churches in Los Angeles have been gathering to pray as riots continue in protest against President Trump’s immigration raids.
In an unusual move, the White House has mobilised more than 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, against the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
A White House memo states that “violent protests threaten the security of and significant damage to Federal immigration detention facilities and other Federal property”.
Newsom described federal intervention as a “deranged” move.
Protests broke out on Friday evening in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the city. The Trump administration has increased the frequency of ICE raids, permitting officers to enter places of worship to make arrests—a practice which was prohibited under Biden’s administration.
ICE reported to CBS that 44 unauthorised immigrants were arrested at a work site on Friday, with a further 77 detained in greater Los Angeles on the same day.
Downtown LA’s Federal Building subsequently became the site of protests, after reports emerged that detainees were being held there. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) state that protests were initially peaceful, but the last two days have seen tear gas and rubber bullets fired by officers in riot gear.
Members of the Chapel of Change Church, which has a strong Hispanic community, gathered to pray. Their church building is located less than a block from the epicentre of Friday’s protests. Chapel of Change’s immigrant diaspora is a familiar story across LA; over a third of the population was born outside the United States.
Churchgoer Dora Sanchez told BBC News that their close-knit neighbourhood has been in a state of disbelief. She said it feels like a “breaking point” for immigrant communities.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosted an interfaith prayer vigil on Sunday evening, urging “prayer and reflection as we call for nonviolence and stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbours”.