San Antonio church becomes sanctuary as ICE detentions surge among migrant families
Pastor Dianne García's San Antonio congregation, serving about 500 migrant families, has lost 32 volunteers to ICE detentions and deportations, leaving roughly 50 children without a parent.
Pastor Dianne García established a Mennonite congregation in San Antonio in 2023 to assist newly arrived migrants from Venezuela, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Following the reinstatement of Donald Trump, 32 volunteers from the church were taken by immigration agents, with most being deported, and García has been documenting each incident in detail. She reports that among the roughly 500 families she serves, one in four has faced a detention or expulsion, resulting in about 50 children growing up without a parent.
The surge in ICE activity, highlighted by one outlet's analysis showing San Antonio as the second-highest city in Texas for daily detentions in March 2026, has intensified fear and economic strain, leading families to hide or flee. García’s church now provides spiritual care, financial assistance for rent and food, and a safe place to stay, while many families remain trapped in uncertainty and trauma.
Why it matters
The story shows how federal immigration enforcement is reshaping daily life for vulnerable migrant communities in a major U.S. city.
How this story developed
- Aug 13 San Antonio immigrants live in constant fear as ICE arrests surge
- Aug 18 ICE released a draft plan to provide liability insurance to local officers making immigration arrests.
- Aug 22 San Diego County board approved a narrow vote to halt ICE and CBP firearms training at county‑owned ranges.
- Aug 23 An investigation found that 71% of detainee grievances were dismissed and only 8% were resolved in detainees’ favor.
- Aug 25 ICE began using a $45 billion allocation to shift legal ownership of detention centers to the federal government.
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