ICE Raids Christian Homes: Pastor Captures the Chaos
An ICE officer oversees an immigration enforcement operation, 2019. Photo courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Public domain.
They fled persecution in Iran to find sanctuary in the United States. Now, they're being detained on American soil by American agents.
A series of recent arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have reportedly rattled the Iranian Christian community in Los Angeles, especially within the congregation of Pastor Ara Torosian's Farsi-speaking ministry at Cornerstone West LA. The alleged targets? Iranian asylum-seekers with pending immigration cases — many of whom entered the country legally under a system that has since been dismantled.
A Pastor's Worst Nightmare Becomes Reality
Torosian, a naturalized U.S. citizen who fled Iran after being imprisoned for his faith, witnessed one of these arrests firsthand. He arrived at a parishioner's home in LA to find what he described as an "army" of masked ICE officers, according to Reuters.
Torosian began filming the scene on his phone. One woman, apparently a member of his church, reportedly collapsed on the sidewalk in convulsions during the arrest of her husband. In Torosian's video, shared widely across social media, he is heard pleading, "She's sick! Call 911!" as officers restrain her and block his path, according to Reuters.
The woman was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and later discharged. Both she and her husband reportedly remain in immigration custody. According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement, the pair had been flagged for national security concerns, though no charges have been made public.
Legal Status, Arrested Anyway
What makes these arrests especially controversial is that the individuals had reportedly entered the U.S. using the CBP One mobile app, a Biden-era system designed to facilitate lawful border crossings. President Donald Trump ended the program upon returning to office, citing security risks.
Another Iranian Christian family in Torosian's parish was arrested this week during a scheduled check-in with immigration officials despite having a future asylum hearing scheduled. According to NBC New York, the husband, wife, and their 4-year-old daughter were taken into custody and moved to Texas, where the wife began a hunger strike.
Church as a Target?
Cornerstone West LA is not the only church feeling the pressure. Pastor Kevin Kang of a nearby Methodist congregation described federal agents staging in church parking lots ahead of raids and saying, "When I look at the scripture, when I look at the message and story of Jesus, he constantly is telling us to defend the most vulnerable," as reported by The Guardian. Some clergy say that sanctuary spaces, long respected as off-limits, are no longer safe from immigration enforcement.
Faith leaders across LA have reportedly mobilized in response, organizing protests, setting up bail funds, and staging prayer vigils. Many cite scripture as their guide, calling on the faithful to defend the vulnerable, especially those fleeing violence or persecution.
But with tensions between the U.S. and Iran at a boiling point following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, ICE appears to be taking a harder line. DHS confirmed the arrest of 11 Iranians over one weekend alone.
A Fractured Promise
For Torosian and others, the arrests cut deep — not just personally but theologically.
"They came here for freedom, not like this," he told the agents conducting the raid, according to Christianity Today. "I know you are doing your job, but shame on you. Shame on this government."
The agents in the video did not respond.
He now tells his congregants to stay home, fearing further detentions. Some have stopped attending church altogether, locking their doors and turning off their phones. "In a million years, a million years, I never imagined, one day I can call my members and tell them that better not to come to the church, because as I know, America is a free country, but they're afraid," Torosian said, according to Reuters.
With church pews empty and families torn apart, many are asking: Is America still the haven it claims to be for those fleeing religious persecution?
References: Immigration officers arrest Iranian asylum-seekers in Los Angeles – Reuters | Iranian woman suffers severe panic attack as ICE agents arrest her husband – NBC New York | ICE Goes After Church Leaders and Christians Fleeing Persecution – Christianity Today | 'To not speak out is to be complicit': LA faith leaders mobilize amid Ice raids – The Guardian | Woman Suffers Medical Emergency While Being Detained by ICE Agents
