A Minneapolis church holds a service of 'Lament and Hope' amid fears over immigration crackdown

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis church opened its doors for a special Sunday service — called a service of ‘Lament and Hope’ — in recognition of the tumultuous week in a city on edge after the fatal shooting of a woman by an immigration officer.

“Thank you for being here this morning. Gathering is such a critical, critical thing to do, especially in these times. It’s been a difficult week," the Rev. Hierald Osorto, pastor at St. Paul's-San Pablo Lutheran Church, told a crowd seated on wooden benches.

The service comes as Minneapolis has the spotlight as the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security has sent roughly 2,000 agents and officers to the region in a show of force, sparking fear in the city's immigrant communities and strong opposition among activists who are pushing back loudly against enforcement.

The church, which actively ministers to a largely immigrant congregation, is located in a neighborhood that has seen heavy immigration enforcement activities since Homeland Security targeted the city. It's also just 1 1/2 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the block where Renee Good was shot Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, sending tensions even higher.

Candles lit and hymns sung as the crackdown continues

In many ways it was a typical Sunday service. Candles were lit, hymns sung, and communion offered.

But outside, immigration enforcement officers were actively driving through in the neighborhood, detaining people while activists blasted away on whistles and beat drums, hoping to stop them.

Church security stood guard by the doors and controlled who came in.

Inside St. Paul’s, worshippers lit candles and greeted each other with smiles and hugs. A statute of Our Lady of Guadalupe stood at the front of the church.

Church volunteers handed out pamphlets that included information on the service, the songs to be sung and the prayers that would be offered. On the front was a drawing of a woman holding a sack with the words, “Justice is for Everyone: Immigrant Rights Now!”

The church has long been part of the community. Osorto says it began with a predominantly Swedish congregation with services held in Swedish. As times changed, the services shifted to Swedish and English, then just English. Nowadays, it's a mixture of Spanish and English with Osorto seamlessly switching between the two languages.

A prayer is said for the woman who was shot

During the service Sunday, Osorto said a prayer for Good. He said he noticed a slight dip in attendance Sunday but still, he was pleased with the turnout given all the congregation is going through.

“I think that it’s important for folks to realize that what’s happened here in the Twin Cities has changed us for the rest of our lives,” he said after the service.

Anna Amundson, is a member of the congregation. She said many people in the community aren't going to work and are fearful of going out even to the grocery store.

“A lot of people are afraid to kind of do the basic things, and so that’s why it’s even more impressive, I think, that people are still coming to church. This community is important to people, and I think that you can kind of see that," she said. "People in our congregation are scared.”

One person who did come was Lizete. She didn’t want to give her full name because, as an immigrant, she was scared of enforcement. She said she knows people who have been picked up by ICE. She said she came here nearly two decades ago with her then 2-year-old daughter. She worries about both of them.

She thought about staying home, but said being alone only intensifies her worries. Instead she drew strength from the support she found at the church Sunday.

“Here I have my people, who is close to me, and I feel their really, really support,” she said.

‘Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten’

Pointing to one of the hymns that was sung during the service — “Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who seek God shall never go wanting” — she said she took strength from those words.

The church also serves as a hub for other groups who want to hold events. Later Sunday dozens of people gathered in the church for a singing vigil where they practiced songs and then walked through the community singing in opposition to the immigration enforcement operation.

Elsewhere in the church, others gathered to make paper flowers that are usually carried during processions leading up to Christmas. Instead they're being held at protests against the immigration enforcement operation.

Jose Luis Villasenor spoke during Sunday's service and asked those assembled to remember that they are brave. Speaking after the service, he acknowledged the intensity of what was happening in the community but said many community members had come from other countries and gone through strife before.

“I want us to, through the reading we had today, to remember that we can we can get through this together, not alone, because we’re very brave and resilient,” he said.