June 11, 2025
By Brian Hews
Two churches in Downey became the latest flashpoints in a controversial wave of immigration raids sweeping across Southern California, as federal agents targeted parishioners in full view of pastors, schoolchildren, and shocked community members.
Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted operations at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and Downey Memorial Christian Church on the morning of Wednesday, June 11, sparking widespread outrage among local officials and faith leaders.
According to reports by NBC4 Los Angeles, an elderly man was arrested in the parking lot of Our Lady of Perpetual Help while dropping off his granddaughter for school. At Downey Memorial, Pastor Alfredo Lopez and his wife, Senior Pastor Tanya Lopez, witnessed ICE agents detain another man in the church parking lot. When the pastors requested identification, agents reportedly refused and declared that “the whole country is their property,” while pointing weapons at the clergy.
“This is a man of faith standing on church property, and that’s what he was told—with guns in our faces,” said Pastor Lopez during a press conference. “That’s a very clear message, and as a man of God, I can tell you: that is not allowed here.”
The raids did not stop at houses of worship.
Video obtained by NBC4 shows agents in tactical gear chasing workers at the Galaxy Car Wash in Downey. The incident, which was captured on surveillance cameras, resulted in at least two additional arrests. Agents also targeted locations at Home Depot and L.A. Fitness in what Downey officials say is part of a broader federal operation that has so far resulted in over 330 arrests across Los Angeles County.
Downey City Councilman Mario Trujillo confirmed the church raids and made it clear that local law enforcement had no role in the federal action. “These raids—at churches, car washes, and local businesses—are creating havoc and fear,” Trujillo told NBC4. “The Downey Police Department did not assist in any way.”
Trujillo was joined by Councilman Horacio Ortiz and Mayor Hector Sosa, who issued a joint condemnation alongside thirty Southern California mayors calling for a halt to the raids. “Churches, schools, and places of business are not battlefields for immigration enforcement,” said Sosa.
The coordinated sweep comes amid growing concern from immigration advocates and city officials, who argue that the tactics are not only heavy-handed but unconstitutional—especially when targeting individuals on sacred ground.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is reportedly reviewing the incidents for possible legal action, while faith groups across Los Angeles County are organizing interfaith responses and sanctuary networks in response to the incidents.
Meanwhile, community members remain on edge.
“We are not okay with this,” one churchgoer was heard saying on livestream as agents walked the perimeter of the church. “This is God’s house, not ICE’s playground.”
Federal officials have yet to release a formal statement on the raids, the nature of the warrants, or why churches were included in the sweep.
Contact Brian Hews at [email protected] or follow @cerritosnews.bsky.social
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. WEB_PAGE_DUMPER: The server does not wake up: https://web-page-dumper.herokuapp.com/ URL: https://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/ Cache: AAL_048d91e746d8e46e76b94d301f80f1d9
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.