North Hills residents and faith leaders criticize ICE action on church ground

San Fernando Valley residents and faith leaders today denounced the detainment of a taco vendor who was picked up by agents last week on the campus of North Hills United Methodist Church during a food-distribution event.

Members of the church and fellow faith leaders held a news conference Monday to raise awareness about the Thursday arrest of Carlos Chavez, and to criticize the Department of Homeland Security for allowing ICE agents to conduct immigration enforcement actions on church grounds.

“Today, we stand on behalf of our friend, Carlos, who was taken by ICE here in our church,” Cristina Barrientos, church lay leader, said. “Carlos, like many others, is not just a statistic or a headline. He is a child of God, a friend, a husband, a father, and their removal has caused pain for their family and for those who know and love him.

“Freedom doesn’t come at the expense of others,” Barrientos said. “Justice doesn’t depend on wealth, influence or status. It should be consistent. As a church, we believe in this, in the sacred worth of every human being.” .

Masked federal ICE agents entered the North Hills United Methodist Church on Thursday, near Langdon Avenue and Rayen Street. The agents chased Chavez, who entered the church’s parking lot in hopes of sanctuary.

ICE agents pursued Chavez with weapons drawn onto the campus while a food distribution program led by North Valley Caring Services, a nonprofit that operates on the site, for people in need was underway, as well as after-school activities for young children, mothers and youth.

The enforcement action was captured on video and circulated on social media.

Pastor Ervin Adin Augilon said people had to shelter in place for more than four hours due to the ICE action.

Augilon emphasized that Chavez was not just a member of the church or a simple taco vendor, but a member of their community.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that U.S. Border Patrol did not target United Methodist Church or its parking lot in North Hills.

“On January 29, Border Patrol conducted an immigration enforcement operation in the area of Rayen Street and Sepulveda Boulevard that resulted in the arrest of Carlos Chavez-Guzman, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously removed from this country in 2016,” McLaughlin said in an email response to City News Service. “Chavez-Guzman chose to run from law enforcement, a federal crime, leading them on a foot chase before his arrest. This operation also resulted in the arrest of two other individuals from Mexico who have violated the immigration laws of our country. All three of these illegal aliens will remain in ICE custody pending removal.

“We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return,” McLaughlin said in her statement.

Chavez’s wife attended Monday’s news conference. She declined to provide her first name and organizers of the event maintained it was necessary for her privacy amid a difficult and emotional time.

Chavez’s wife said she wanted to clear her husband’s name, adding that he did not have any debts or a criminal record and saying the ICE detainment was unwarranted.

She said her husband was forced to sign and agree to deportation as he feared for his life. Chavez had bronchitis and anxiety, according to his wife.

They had a plan, in case they faced ICE, but she said the detainment happened so fast.

She urged families to be safe and take precautions. She emphasized that federal agents are picking up anyone even if they have legal status, work visas, or any documentation authorizing legal status.

Dottie Escobedo-Frank, pastor and district superintendent of the United Methodist Church, described the federal enforcement action on church grounds as a violation.

“In our churches, we understand that it’s a place of safety. In fact, the word sanctuary means safety, and our safety has been violated inside our sacred space,” Escobedo-Frank said.

She called on legislators to stand up and change laws in order to stop the harm that is happening in churches, communities and across the nation.

Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels, spiritual leader of Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica/West Los Angeles, echoed Escobedo-Frank’s sentiments. He encouraged people not to be afraid.

“We’re not afraid of masked men. When you look at those pictures, you tell me who the aliens are. The little children and the moms and dads who are here for food because they need it,” Comess-Daniels said.

“They are not afraid. They (federal agents) tried to make them afraid. They tried to plant the seed of evil and fear and intimidation. Here at this church, people came very quickly and with their hands they uprooted those seeds,” Daniels said.

He emphasized that we are peaceful and angry people.

“We will reject their intimidation. We will reject their fear mongering. We will reject them labeling people as immigrants, who are really refugees,” Comess-Daniels said. “When you understand the plight of the refugee, you understand that these people are here for help.”

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the Seventh Council District, encompassing northeast San Fernando Valley communities, called the federal immigration action a violation of constitutional rights.

She urged members of Congress and the Senate to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to seize additional funding from ICE.

“We ask the citizens, the people of the United States, to speak up, to not sit silent, and urge your members of Congress or Senate to do their jobs,” Rodriguez said.