Faith leaders gather to voice concern regarding recent valley ICE activity

MECCA, Calif. (KESQ) – Faith leaders are gathering to speak with Representative Raul Ruiz after a recent surge in immigration enforcement in the Coachella Valley.

Last week, News Channel 3 reported on immigration enforcement activity that drew alarm from Palm Springs residents and local leaders. Inland Coalition 4 Immigration Justice, an immigration rights group, posted several videos of officers in 'ICE' vests taking people into custody to social media. They said 30 operations took place last week, with 6 people detained.

Concerns still linger for some in the Coachella Valley, including faith leaders that work closely with the local immigrant community. On Monday, those leaders will meet with Rep. Raul Ruiz to voice their concerns over ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

Faith leaders will bring firsthand accounts of how the activity is affecting the wellbeing, mental health, and daily stability of families in their congregations. They will also discuss how the representative's office can provide resources and support during a time of heightened fear and uncertainty.

Father Francisco Gomez, S.T., Pastor at Our Lady of Soledad Catholic Church in Coachella, said tragic events have already stemmed from fear among families.

"A little child of 13, who recognizes the difficulties mom and dad are having… and then begins to think, maybe if I was not here, things would be better," he recounted, choking up. "Then, the child commits suicide. This is extremely tragic."

"All the while, as I embrace people in my office and as we cry together, we grit our teeth and we say God is greater than this. And we offer each other the consolation of our faith," he said.

It's for this reason that Rep. Ruiz said he gathered the faith leaders today: "The one way to help support the non-criminal immigrants and US citizens to help alleviate this psychological trauma is through their faith and through the faith-based leaders."

We also pressed the Congressman on the steps he's taken to put an end to the fear he sees in his constituents.

"What's in your power to kind of change that environment, and just what's going on?" we asked.

"I have called for an investigation specifically on the behaviors of the agents who are acting with brutality and racial profiling individuals," he responded. He added he has called for blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security until he sees more accountability for ICE agents. That includes everything from wearing body cameras to removing face masks and requiring agents to use judicial warrants for any searches of private property.

"What's the progress on those investigations you've called for?" we followed up.

"Well, the Department of Homeland Security has not been funded. Republicans are trying to fund them with another $70 billion to continue with this brutal mass deportation effort that's ripping communities apart," he said.

At the end of the discussion, he left everyone with one final thought. We asked him, "What's one key issue, one change that you want to make to change things for your constituents here?"

He finished, "We need to stop the indiscriminant mass deportation operations, and we need to stop with the brutality and the violence."