June 9, 2025
A United Methodist clergywoman who participated in a demonstration against deportation raids in Los Angeles June 8 said the protests were peaceful until law enforcement and National Guard instigated attacks on the demonstrators. The area's United Methodist bishop condemned the raids and called on United Methodists to defend immigrant families.
In a Facebook post, the Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen, pastor of the Church at Ocean Park who participated in the demonstration, asserted the protest outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center was nonviolent until provoked by National Guard troops. She wrote:
"Some news reports are reporting that protesters threw cans and bottles at the National Guard. And only then did the National Guard respond with tear gas. That is not true. I was there at the front of the march at that time (June 8). We stood on the sidewalk ( some of us in the driveway but on the sidewalk portion). We did not enter. And nobody threw anything. The National Guard put their heavy duty face coverings on and picked up their tear gas guns. At that point most of us who could see what was about to happen turned around to get out of there. (We told others to turn around as well). They fired the tear gas guns over and over with no warning. We weren’t able to get far enough away so it did reach us. But not as intensely as it would have if we’d stayed there.
"I just want you to know that the National Guard fired without warning and they did it over and over again. and we were peaceful. Things happened later but it didn’t begin with violent protesters. Just wanted you to get the real story."
An extended caption for the top photo by Alberto Sibaja/Pacific Press/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images described the encounters thus:
"Protesters clashed with military forces on Sunday afternoon (June 8) after a large crowd gathered in the area of the Metropolitan Detention Center in the city center, which is guarded by the National Guard. According to reports, members of the National Guard used what appeared to be tear gas, in addition to using non-lethal munitions, which they fired at some of the protesters. Thousands of people extended their demonstration to the 101 Freeway and surrounding areas, where they clashed with California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers.
"Before the violent clashes erupted Sunday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, Representative Maxine Waters, who represents parts of South Los Angeles, called the National Guard deployment a 'disturbance.' For the third consecutive day, protesters and activists gathered in downtown Los Angeles this Sunday to protest the presence of federal immigration enforcement and the arrests of dozens of people over the weekend. It was approximately 3:00 p.m. when a group of protesters moved from City Hall to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where the National Guard is stationed. Upon arrival, the protesters clashed with federal agents outside the federal building, including some who appeared to be members of the National Guard."
United Methodist Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, resident episcopal leader of the Los Angeles Area (California Pacific Annual Conference), issued a statement June 7 objecting to the ICE raids and violent reprisals against protesters:
Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank
Edited from UM Insight Screenshot
"This week I’ve been paying attention to the places across our city, state, and country where our immigrant neighbors are being detained. I’ve seen reports of ICE going into neighborhoods, court buildings, stores, and schools, and separating families. Have you, too, heard the children’s cries for “mama,” or the mother’s cries for her children as she is forced into a van? These are my people, for I too come from an immigrant family. And I am brokenhearted by what I see.
"The immigrants targeted are not criminals, but people who showed up for court because they have been following the laws, people who went to work, children who went to school. Immigrants are people who work hard at being citizens of the heart and they make the USA and our state a better place.
"As we have been working together to protect, to show up, and to get our voices heard, there is both a sense of hopelessness and courage. And in the struggle, en la lucha, I thought of this scripture from Psalm 34:17-18:
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
"Tonight, I am calling on all Christ-following people, and on all tenderhearted people, to stand with those who are being ripped apart from their families. Speak to your politicians. March in peaceful protest. While you are there, make sure everyone is safe and responds in peace. Be witnesses on the streets so that the horror does not happen under cover. Pray for those whose cries you hear. Pray for the ICE agents to lay down their weapons. Pray for the leaders of our world, asking that they would seek peace above all. Pray for justice to prevail, because we all know that without justice, there is no peace. Attend prayer vigils. Hold one in your church or your neighborhood. Act, pray, and rise up where you see injustice and harm.
"I am calling for those in power to remove their weapons of warfare from our loving neighborhoods, our peaceful cities, and our welcoming states. Use your power for good, and not for evil." – Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank
"And tonight, I am calling for those in power to remove their weapons of warfare from our loving neighborhoods, our peaceful cities, and our welcoming states. Use your power for good, and not for evil. Protect those who suffer, including the immigrant brothers, sisters, and neighbors among us. Use your time and your expertise to pass laws to correct the unjust system we have inherited. Stop the harm that comes from our own governmental system. Do good. Do no harm. Stay in love with the people you work for.
"The Psalm above reminds us that God hears us when we are crying out for help. God draws close to those whose hearts have been broken. God works with us to protect those who need help from those who do harm.
"We are not alone. God is with us. I am praying for all of us as we respond to hate with love, to violence with loud cries, and to harmful deeds with acts of justice. Together, and with God’s help, we can have courage in even moments like these."
PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) noted in its June 9 "Morning Buzz" newsletter:
"At Axios, Avery Lotz reports that California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to sue President Donald Trump, alleging that the president “illegally acted” by deploying National Guard troops during protests against federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. The presidential memorandum authorized the mobilization of approximately 2,000 National Guard members for 60 days, bypassing Newsom’s authority and invoking rarely used federal powers. Newsom argues that the order escalated tensions on the ground and set a troubling precedent by not specifying California or Los Angeles, raising concerns that similar federal action could be taken unilaterally in any state. The 2024 PRRI American Values Atlas finds that the majority of Californians completely (45%) or mostly (25%) disagree with the statement 'Immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background.'”
The California-Pacific conference is scheduled is hold its 41st annual session June 11-14 in Indian Wells, Calif., and livestreamed to its farthest location, the U.S. protectorate of Guam, on June 12-15, as Guam is over the International Date Line from California. This year's theme is “Ending Spiritual & Physical Hunger: Cherish!”
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, an online journal she founded in 2011 to provide news and views about, by and for marginalized and under-served United Methodists.