Nashville Masses are emptier as the threat of deportations looms

The first Sunday Mass of Pope Leo’s papacy was sparsely attended at Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Catholic Church in Nashville. As the white smoke billowed in Vatican City, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the middle of a weeklong raid on Nashville’s immigrant corridor.  

ICE arrested nearly 200 people as part of the early May operation. The raids — and the possibility of future crack downs — has had a chilling effect on the city’s Spanish-speaking parishes.

Attendance fell 50% the Sunday following the arrests, according to the Diocese of Nashville. At the 10 a.m. Mass, parishioner Gisselle Huerta said Sagrado Corazón felt empty. 

“That Mass service is always so full. From the bottom to the top level, it’s always full, and not even the first section was filled,” Huerta said. “Ever since then, we have a scared community.” 

Under the Trump administration, churches no longer have federal protections from immigration enforcement for the 1 in 5 Catholics who may be impacted by deportation. A joint report from the U.S Catholic Conference of Bishops and several evangelical groups found that nearly a quarter of all Catholics in the U.S. are vulnerable to deportation or have a loved one who is, compared to 8% of Christians as a whole.

In response to the raids, the Diocese of Nashville told its congregants they’re not obligated to attend Mass on Sunday “if doing so puts their safety at risk.”

“I’ve never, ever, ever in my life … heard of them ever doing that,” Huerta said. “To have a Catholic church come out and say that, is because they know that their community is hurting.”

MORE: As Tennessee pastors and politicians clash over Trump’s immigration agenda, their congregations are divided

Rick Musacchio, Executive Director of the Tennessee Catholic Conference, said the statement to Nashville congregants reaffirms existing church law. The Catholic church already allows for parishioners to stay home from Mass for any reason that could put them in harm’s way, like in the case of a natural disaster or illness.

“They can make that decision for themselves that conditions are too dangerous to attend Mass on Sunday and instead have a private devotion,” Musacchio told WPLN News. 

After weeks of fluctuating attendance, all three bishops in the Tennessee Catholic Conference are speaking out about “widespread fear” in their parishes. Bishops J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Mark Beckman of Knoxville and David P. Talley of Memphis issued a statement, calling on lawmakers to pursue immigration reform.

“We are particularly concerned by reports that recent enforcement efforts in the Nashville area have extended beyond individuals charged with serious crimes or those subject to final deportation orders,” the statement said. “In the current climate, many individuals face a lack of due process, which contributes to widespread fear, especially the fear of being detained while simply attending Mass or participating in parish life.” 

Nashville’s Mass attendance initially rebounded after the raids, but the pews have once again emptied as ICE officials and Washington Republicans take aim at Mayor Freddie O’Connell for his critiques of immigration enforcement. 

The Trump administration’s “border czar” Tom Homan said Nashville may have a multi-agency crackdown in the future because of O’Connell’s opposition. Homan and other Republicans have called Nashville a “sanctuary city,” although it’s a felony to institute any sanctuary policies under Tennessee law. O’Connell has said that Nashville is not in violation of the state law, as city policy does not shield people from immigration enforcement.

Two congressional committees sent a letter to O’Connell, asking for his office’s communications about ICE, as Tennessee Republicans consider launching a full investigation into the mayor’s response.