ICE Enforcement Is Devastating Latino Churches Across the Midwest, Investigation Finds

A Christianity Today investigation has found that ICE enforcement operations are devastating Latino church congregations across the Midwest, with some churches losing significant portions of their membership as families flee or go into hiding. The reporting, based on visits to multiple congregations including River Valley Church in Minnesota, documents empty pews, canceled programs, and pastors struggling to minister to communities paralyzed by fear. The investigation arrives as the Trump administration expands deportation operations nationwide and the broader evangelical community remains deeply divided over whether immigration enforcement and the Great Commission can coexist.