Church broadcasting Spanish services for those fearful of ICE raids
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Iglesia Nueva Vida, the Spanish New Life location off North Circle Drive in Colorado Springs, says some members are concerned about ICE raids, and may begin to regularly stream church service from home instead.
The church has been live streaming their services for the last several years, but began broadcasting their services on KRDO13 this month.
Leaders tell us the church is home to many undocumented immigrants. KRDO13 spoke with an undocumented couple anonymously on Tuesday about their fears.
"I understand that they may feel insecure, with many fears. But more than that, we would like to tell them that this is a safe place." They said, "If you can't be here in person, it's a great blessing to be able to see it on television."
Pastors at Iglesia Nueva Vida tell KRDO13 they've consulted attorneys and know their rights.
"We are talking to our attorneys and [staying] updated on anything that's going on in Washington. And at this point, we all can pray that God helps us because we don't have an answer," Jeremias Tamarez, the lead pastor at Nueva Vida, said.
While they work to keep their church members safe, the pastors at the Spanish church don't want that intention to be misconstrued.
"We also want to be righteous, right? We're not here to protect criminals from people who have pending issues with the law," Ana Tamarez, a pastor at Nueva Vida said.
KRDO13 has reached out to the ICE field office in Denver to see if they had shown up at any churches in Colorado or planned to in the future. They did not get back to us at the time of publication.
However, the Senior Pastor of New Life Church says he's been speaking with local elected officials and law enforcement to bring awareness and ensure members of his church are safe.
"We want people to be free to come in our doors, worship Jesus with us unhindered and unafraid," Brady Boyd said. "I understand the political tensions that are outside the walls, but those don't come inside the church."
Boyd continued on to express his respect for those officials - officials he believes won't "unnecessarily" deport people.
"They've arrested some bad people, but we have not heard of a single story ... of a hardworking family being deported out of Colorado Springs. I think our local officials have common sense, and I've found that they have compassion," Boyd said.
