Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Sunday, Feb. De La Rosa, who oversees Church of God of Prophecy congregations in nine southeastern states, says he has had to respond quickly to the Trump administration's new orders, which have thrown out policies that restricted immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools and houses of worship.
This move has imperiled 32 of the Latino evangelical denomination's 70 pastors who are here without legal status and serve in some of the region's most vulnerable communities, De La Rosa said. The bishop has instructed each congregation with endangered pastors to prepare three laypeople to take over, should their leader be deported. De La Rosa echoes the sentiments of several other faith leaders representing thousands of Latino evangelical Christians in Florida and swaths of the Southeast.
They worry about the sanctity of their sacred spaces , and the possibility of immigration raids and arrests. A statement from the Department of Homeland Security on Jan. Agustin Quiles, a spokesperson for the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Councils and Evangelical Institutions, said community members, including many who supported Donald Trump in the last election cycle, now feel devastated and abandoned.
We want to ask the president to reconsider because these actions are causing pain and trauma to so many families in and beyond our churches. Their suffering is great, and the church is suffering with them. Quiles said his organization will lobby legislators in Washington and Florida to reinstate laws that protected sensitive spaces like houses of worship. However, Rodriguez said agents may surveil a church if they suspect someone engaged in criminal activity is seeking shelter there.
And he said those who are here illegally โ even if they have lived in the United States for decades โ may be deported if they are living with or are around someone who is here illegally and has committed a crime. The National Association of Evangelicals, which says it represents 40 denominations and serves millions, expressed dismay at the executive order. Pastors who are seeing the impact of these orders on the ground agree. The Rev. Rodriguez said he has been helping some congregants with reference letters for their immigration applications and speaking with lawyers to see how the church can help proactively.
