Sanctuary in ICE: Guide to Resources in Local Churches

United Methodist churches across the United States are reinforcing their support for immigrant families. They do so amid a federal offensive that has already claimed several lives. «The situation seems chaotic and gives the impression of indiscriminate violence,» said Rev. Eric Folkerth, pastor in Dallas, Texas. Folkerth is also a volunteer with the Clergy Emergency League for Action and Emergency Response.

This interfaith organization accompanies immigrants facing the risk of detention at court hearings. Folkerth warned that the objective behind the chaos appears to be generating instability. His words emerged at a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, shot by an undercover ICE agent in Houston.

In less than a week, federal agents shot and killed two family fathers during traffic stops. Salgado Araujo, 52, had been in the country for 35 years and was processing his legal status. Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian, was traveling with his wife and daughter in Maine. Neither was armed nor the target of a migration operation.

A crisis hitting Texas, Florida, and New England

Methodist bishops Cynthia Fierro Harvey, Rubén Sáenz Jr., and Thomas J. Bickerton demanded transparent investigations into both deaths. Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, of California-Pacific, called for changes in ICE practices and the restoration of due process. In Houston, Salgado Araujo’s wife attended Misión Milby, a Methodist community center.

«Our greatest interest is to provide support to those who feel fear in the presence of ICE,» said Rev. Will Reed, of the Texas Annual Conference. However, these deaths occur as the Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians, with the approval of the Supreme Court.

In Florida, about 3,000 Methodist parishioners are of Haitian origin. «The Haitian community feels great anxiety and uncertainty,» said Judith Pierre-Okerson, deacon of the Florida Annual Conference. A bill that would protect this community, H.R. 1689, remains stalled in the Senate.

The numbers behind the migration offensive

ICE’s budget grew by 75 billion dollars last year, exceeding that of all other federal agencies combined. Since January 2025, federal agents have shot at nearly two dozen people. At least ten have died in immigration operations, including two U.S. citizens.

On July 14, Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán died hit by a vehicle in Florida while fleeing ICE agents. However, he had a valid tourist visa. Nevertheless, more than 50 additional people have died in ICE custody since Trump’s return to power, in facilities reporting disease outbreaks.

According to TRAC, 70.6% of more than 65,000 people detained by ICE lacked criminal records. Remaining without legal documentation remains a civil violation, not a crime. Gallup surveys show that 73% of Americans consider immigration positive for the country.

Legal assistance for affected families

The United Methodist Church’s Immigration Justice and Laws Network offers legal aid across the country. «We have clients who qualify for permanent residency,» explained Joy Green, director of Justice for All Immigrants in Houston. She advises those who lost TPS to seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

Green noted an increase in habeas corpus petitions to release people detained without clear cause. Rev. Emily Kvalheim, deacon and lawyer in Ohio, counted at least 736 changes in migration policies since January 2025. She recommends that families prepare emergency plans in case of possible detention.

How faith communities can help

The denomination’s Immigration Task Force offers study materials and «Know Your Rights» kits in several languages. Meanwhile, in Ohio, Methodists organize letter-writing campaigns for detained asylum seekers. «They assure them they are not alone in one of the worst moments of their lives,» said Kvalheim.

In Newark, New Jersey, Methodist volunteers manage a welcome tent for families visiting detainees at Delaney Hall. They distribute clothes to those rejected by the facility’s strict dress code. Every Tuesday, a couple from Morristown prepares hot meals for those waiting outside.

Rev. Danny Yang, of Morrow Memorial, has translated for detainees seeking to return to their home countries. «She never committed any crime; she simply lacked documentation,» he said about a woman trapped in the system. Despite the bleak outlook, Rev. Luana Cook Scott insists that every gesture counts.

«We can make the experience less painful,» Cook Scott stated. However, for Methodist churches, faith translates into concrete action. From vigils to legal counsel.