Churches across Los Angeles are turning to prayer as protests continue over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids authorized by President Donald Trump.
In a rare federal intervention, the White House has deployed over 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles—despite strong objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the move “deranged.”
A White House memo cited “violent protests” as justification for the military response, claiming they pose a threat to federal immigration detention centers and other government property.
The protests began Friday evening, following a series of ICE raids throughout the city. According to ICE, 44 undocumented immigrants were arrested at a single workplace, with an additional 77 detained across the Greater Los Angeles area.
Unlike the Biden-era policy, which restricted ICE activity in sensitive locations like churches, the Trump administration has re-authorized enforcement actions inside places of worship.
Protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown LA over the weekend after reports surfaced that detainees were being temporarily held there. While the initial demonstrations were peaceful, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that officers used tear gas and rubber bullets in response to what they described as escalating tensions on Saturday and Sunday.
Just a block away from the protest’s epicenter, Chapel of Change, a church with a large Hispanic congregation, held a prayer gathering. The church’s community, made up largely of immigrant families, reflects the broader makeup of Los Angeles, where over a third of residents are foreign-born.
Dora Sanchez, a long-time member of Chapel of Change, said the events have shaken her neighborhood. “It feels like a breaking point,” she told the BBC. “Our community is in disbelief.”
On Sunday night, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosted an interfaith prayer vigil, calling for peace and unity. In a statement, the archdiocese encouraged “prayer and reflection as we call for nonviolence and stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.”