Metro Atlanta pastors say fear of ICE raids is keeping some congregants away from church
Some pastors in metro Atlanta say they're witnessing something they've never seen before: fear is keeping people out of church.
A number of pastors across the area report a noticeable drop in attendance. They say undocumented churchgoers are skipping services, worried immigration agents could be waiting outside. It's part of a growing national trend that faith leaders link to new immigration enforcement rules under the Trump administration.
One man told CBS News Atlanta he hasn't attended church for at least a month because he's afraid ICE agents might show up. He said his pastor has even asked congregants not to meet in person for now.
Across metro Atlanta, church leaders are getting creative to keep faith alive while keeping their members safe.
One pastor said he's moved some services from the chapel to his living room.
"Many of our people are scared," he said. "That's why I invite them to my home, to sing, to praise God, to worship together with freedom."
The fear isn't limited to Georgia. A pastor in Maryland told CBS News he's also noticed longtime congregants staying away.
"There comes a point where the church has to adapt, not give up," he said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons told CBS News that despite restrictions being lifted on immigration raids at churches, houses of worship are not a target.
"I did rescind that policy, but it's just like any other law enforcement agency," Lyons said, explaining, "If we're in a pursuit of a criminal alien or a felon and they run into a hospital or a church, well, we're gonna continue that pursuit. Nothing's off the table when it comes to that, but we're not actively targeting schools. We're not, not actually targeting hospitals. That's just no law enforcement agency would do that. We don't do that."
Lyons said he's heard about people's concerns. "We do hear that ICE is, you know, people are scared to send their children to school because they're afraid ICE is gonna make arrests at schools. ICE isn't going to do that. The instance that people have brought up where ICE or Homeland Security special agents have been in schools is because we're dedicated to find those 300,000 unaccompanied minors," he continued. "So we do welfare checks at the schools, but it's only to go ahead and try to make sure that these people are with the right sponsor or with the family not being exploited, not being trafficked. The last known address might be that school. So there's been a few instances, we had one out of California that, again, was painted in the wrong light. We were trying to rescue children, not making arrests."
Still, church leaders remain cautious after ICE agents reportedly detained a man at a church earlier this year. Many religious organizations are now distributing guidelines reminding churches of their rights, from locking doors during services to exercising the right to remain silent.