Pastor Says Immigrant-Friendly Pilsen Church Vandalized Twice Since Easter
CHICAGO (CBS) --They say their church was targeted twice with hateful graffiti in back-to-back days after Easter.
The pastor tells CBS 2's Brad Edwards it's believed to be a sign of the times, politically.
Rev. Emma Lozano says they put the racial slurs right on the front door of Lincoln United Methodist Church it where it says "Holy Ground" and I.C.E. free-zone, referring to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Reassuring to the largely Latino congregations.
"The day after Easter, to write 'rape Mexico' on the door of my church," Lozano says.
She says it happened again the day after and swastikas were also scrawled on the door.
On Easter, the congregation was in the news as the Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered the sermon and was at once surrounded by families fighting deportation orders.
"It was a beautiful service, to wake up to the following day to this rhetoric on my church," Rev. Lozano says.
She believes this is a symptom of inflamed election cycle.
"It's part of the political climate, the rhetoric of the candidates that are coming out and that saying 'deport all of the Mexicans, Mexicans are rapists,' this is fueling that courage. We're gonna beef up security, but we're not going to be afraid."
Chicago Police took a report on the incidents Tuesday afternoon and are now investigating.