The claim that Border Patrol and Customs Enforcement are targeting non-English speaking communities at their places of worship over the holiday season is mostly true because multiple independent news reports and sources from late 2022 document coordinated immigration enforcement operations focusing on Spanish-speaking churches during the holiday period, although the operations are officially framed as targeting criminal aliens rather than communities broadly.
Mostly True
Border patrol and customs enforcement are set to target non English speaking communities at their places of worship over the holiday season.
Immigration Enforcement NC - Customs and Border agents to target Raleigh this week, state senator confirms - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
Source: abc11.com
At a glance
Verified November 24, 2025Key Evidence
Multiple independent news outlets including ABC11, The Independent, Newsweek, and Esquire report coordinated immigration raids at Spanish-speaking churches during the holiday season.
DOJ sources and legal advocacy groups confirm these operations are planned and underway.
Community members have publicly protested these actions, indicating real enforcement activity at places of worship.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Multiple credible sources from late 2022 report that U.S. Immigration enforcement agencies, including Border Patrol and ICE, planned and executed operations targeting Spanish-speaking churches during the holiday season, particularly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. These operations were described as part of a crackdown on undocumented immigrants, with a focus on those considered criminal aliens.
ABC11 Raleigh-Durham confirms Border Patrol operations in Raleigh with local officials expressing concern about enforcement near places of worship.abc11.comabc11.comImmigration Enforcement NC - Customs and Border agents to target Raleigh this...
Several reports describe plans by the Trump-era Department of Homeland Security to conduct raids on Spanish-speaking churches nationwide during the holidays.the.democraticunderground.orgthe.democraticunderground.orgExclusive: Trump DHS Plans Immigration Raids on Churches Over Holidays
thisweekinworcester.comthisweekinworcester.comTrump Administration Has Plan to Raid Churches Over Holidays+1 more
The Independent and Newsweek document actual arrests and raids in North Carolina churches, with community members expressing shock and fear.independent.co.ukindependent.co.ukOver 130 immigrants arrested in North Carolina as agents swarm churches in...
newsweek.comnewsweek.comChurch goers flee Border Patrol raid—'We thought church was safe'
Parriva and Raw Story cite DOJ sources confirming a nationwide crackdown on Spanish-speaking congregations during this period.parriva.comparriva.comHoliday Crackdown: Feds Target Spanish-Speaking Churches
rawstory.comrawstory.comFeds plan holiday season raids on Spanish-speaking churches: report
Democracy Forward highlights legal actions taken to stop such enforcement inside houses of worship.democracyforward.orgdemocracyforward.orgDemocracy Forward Takes Action to Stop Reported Holiday Raids on Houses of...
Esquire also reports on these holiday season church raids as a serious federal enforcement effort.esquire.comesquire.comICE Is Coming to Bust a Church Near You This Holiday Season. Seriously
However, official statements emphasize that the focus is on individuals with criminal records or those prioritized for removal, not indiscriminate targeting of all non-English speakers or entire communities. The claim that these operations specifically target "non-English speaking communities" at places of worship is supported by the focus on Spanish-speaking churches but may overgeneralize the scope beyond those prioritized for enforcement. In summary, the core fact that immigration enforcement agencies have targeted Spanish-speaking churches during the holiday season is well documented, but the framing as broadly targeting all non-English speaking communities at places of worship lacks nuance regarding enforcement priorities.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source