Immigrant ministries respond to increased fear, misinformation

Leaders of immigrant-to-immigrant ministries in Chicago-area parishes are accompanying families pastorally in an environment of increased fear of deportation among immigrants.

“In the Pastoral Migratoria, we’ve been hearing a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty,” said Sarah Rosland, senior coordinator for local immigration in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity. “There’s so much disinformation out there.”

Some parishes with large immigrant populations have noticed a decrease in Mass attendance, Rosland said.

“There’s a lot of that fear of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) coming to schools or Mass,” Rosland said.

Father Marco Franco, pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish in Little Village, said on Jan. 31 that he had not seen a decrease in attendance yet, but that businesses along busy 26th Street were reporting a decline in traffic.

While the archdiocesan legal office is advising parishes and schools on how to respond if that happens, Rosland said, “We’re focusing on the pastoral response, what we can do with people dealing with this great amount of fear. Is it safe to go to work? Is it safe to go to school? We’ve been training the Pastoral Migratoria members to facilitate peace circles.”

Such peace circles were used by members of Pastoral Migratoria, or immigrant-to-immigrant ministry, during the first Trump administration, Rosland said.

“A peace circle is used to create safe spaces within parishes,” she said. “People can bring those fears and anxieties. It’s really to support people and to address these things that really take a toll on people’s emotional and mental health.”

Pastoral Migratoria leaders have also distributed “pastoral packs” to leaders in each of the 25 parishes that have active Pastoral Migratoria ministries, Rosland said. The packs include items such as prayer shawls and prayer cards, rosaries and “know your rights” cards. They are intended to be given to families affected by deportations.

“This is a tangible symbol that the church is standing in solidarity with the immigrant community,” Rosland said.

In addition, the archdiocesan Immigration Ministry works with non-profit organizations and domestic and international government agencies such as the Mexican Consulate to distribute “know your rights” information, and helps connect people with legal assistance.

Seven parishes host periodic meetings with immigration attorneys, Rosland said, and the office has lists of organizations and attorneys who might provide free or reduced-price services and other immigration attorneys who are available at their usual fees.

President Trump promised mass deportations in his campaign leading up to the Nov. 5, 2024, election. Since he took office Jan. 20, a number of initiatives have been announced aimed at deporting more undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who had legal temporary protected status in the United States until the administration declared on Feb. 2 that it would end in 60 days.

The Department of Homeland Security has also pulled in federal officers from Customs and Border Protection and other agencies as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that usually has responsibility for deporting undocumented immigrants.

Over the last weekend in January, media figure Dr. Phil McGraw accompanied federal officers and live-streamed arrests, and New York Post reporters accompanied agents in Chicago the first weekend of February. Both weekends were “targeted enforcement actions,” aimed at people who already have deportation orders or who have been convicted of crimes. However, officers were able to detain other undocumented people they encountered.

The administration also announced that it would end a longstanding policy of not seeking undocumented immigrants in “sensitive locations,” such as schools, houses of worship and hospitals. However, there have been no reported attempts of immigration officers attempting to gain access to such places in the Chicago area.

Franco said that many people have believed and spread erroneous information about immigration raids on social media, heightening the atmosphere of anxiety.

“People have to remember not to believe everything they read on Facebook,” he said. “Don’t spread something if you don’t know it’s true.”

To help people find accurate information, the archdiocesan Immigration Ministry maintains a list of trusted organizations on its website. And for those who prefer to attend Mass remotely, the archdiocese broadcasts Sunday Mass in Spanish on Univision and online. For more information, visit archchicago.org.