Hispanic pastor says his church may close because of ICE raids; leaders call for reform at NHCLC event
By Ryan Foley - Posted at The Christian Post:
Pastor Victor Martinez of New Generation Church in Minneapolis says his church may close due to fears from ICE raids.A Hispanic pastor said Monday that his church faces the risk of closure as a result of deportation fears because of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, as Hispanic leaders call for the passage of legislation to ensure that most illegal immigrants can remain in the United States while preventing them from obtaining citizenship.
A group of Hispanic Christian leaders, led by Pastor Samuel Rodriguez of the Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, held a call Monday to discuss how the faith community should respond to the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota and nationwide.
Pastor Victor Martinez of New Generation Church in Minneapolis, detailed the impact ICE raids were having on his community, specifically on church attendance.
“This is traumatizing,” he said. “I’m 40 years old, born in California and for me as a pastor, I am traumatized. Every now and then, I get worried and emotional. I’ve had white Republican suburban pastors call me and just apologize to me so profusely.”
After stressing that “pastors are getting ready to maybe lose their buildings” because church attendance has declined by 80%, Martinez said that his church "is probably considering closing at this point now because it’s so traumatic for me as a pastor to worry about people in our church.”
