DETROIT — There are several complaints about Border Patrol agents profiling ethnic communities in Detroit, but one particular incident is receiving widespread attention because it occurred at a church. 

Father Tom Sepulveda of St. Anne’s in Detroit said that Border Patrol operations during Mass at the mostly Hispanic church are “completely inappropriate,” much like the continued harrassment of Arab Americans and American Muslims in Michigan. PHOTO: Natasha Dado/TAAN

In July at least half a dozen Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations (OFO) agents were spotted conducting an operation on the grounds of the St. Anne’s Catholic Church in the city during Mass.   

“It is completely inappropriate for Border Patrol to be at a church during Mass. We understand that they have a job to do, but there are simply some places that should be sacred,” said Father Tom Sepulveda, pastor of the church. 

During the incident a man was detained and eventually released. The Alliance for Immigrants Rights (AIR) filed a Freedom of Information Act seeking further information on why the man was initially approached. 

Despite the uncertainty of the underlying reason for the incident, the case has raised concern because of the mounting complaints from minorities who say they have been victims of racial and religious profiling while going to a local food pantry, work or picking up their children from school. 

According to Father Sepulveda, about 75% of the people who attend religious services at the church are Hispanic. He says some people are afraid of practicing their faith because immigration agents may target them.

“I don’t think any Hispanic wants to feel intimidated when they come to church,” Sepulveda said. “I can’t protest it enough that it took place here.”

He says the situation is similar to the plight of Arab Americans and American Muslims in southeast Michigan who have also complained about being profiled and detained. During a press conference at the church Wednesday, AIR released a new report from the No More Deaths coalition which details human rights violations along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The report is based on interviews with 13,000 migrants and documents patterns of abuse including detainees in immigration detention suffering from dehydration who are periodically denied water, and others who have life threatening medical conditions and denied access to medication. Additional detainees, adults and children according to the report, were beaten during apprehensions and subjected to humiliation and other forms of psychological abuse.    

Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit) has requested National Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Allen Bersin, meet with community members. To date, Bersin has not responded. 

Ryan Bates, AIR director, says since an investigation into local Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) abuse was launched, ICE agents have eased their enforcement at churches, funerals and schools. “We’re grateful for that but we still need the agents who broke the old policy to be punished,” he said.  

In terms of seeing different behavior from ICE, Bates says they’re seeing the same situations occur but Border Patrol has become much worse. “We’re still seeing people who shouldn’t be targeted by ICE, families, students…,” he said. 

One pastor who spoke at the event gave hope to attendees stating the campaign to fight harassment by immigration agencies is gaining momentum.  “It frustrates me to hear about these types of stories where people can’t even come to express or practice their faith in the community together. What a terrible thing. It’s a constitutional right that’s valued in this country and being taken away,” the pastor said.