WASHINGTON — With the Trump administration declaring that immigration agents are now free to make arrests in places of worship, undeterred faith leaders in Southern California and beyond say they are prepared to aid and even shelter immigrants.
“We have an executive order from God, not from politicians,” said Guillermo Torres, who leads immigration campaigns at Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, a nonprofit advocacy group in Los Angeles. “Do you think we’re going to betray the greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself?”
The enforcement policy, announced last week, rescinded a 2011 memo that restricted immigration agents from making arrests in sensitive locations, such as churches and schools.
A group of Quaker congregations on Monday sued the Department of Homeland Security in federal court over the policy change, saying the threat of immigration enforcement deters congregants from attending…
