Latino Church Spooked After Man Shows Up Wearing Fake ICE Jacket

It’s understandable that Latino communities chock full of undocumented immigrants are on edge due to the early success of President Trump’s policy to deport criminal illegal aliens, but nerves were jangled after an apparent prankster played a dirty trick on churchgoers.

The incident took place earlier this month in California when an individual – who has been identified as an employee of the city of San Francisco – showed up at a Hispanic community church wearing a jacket that resembled that of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.

According to San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX 5 “Man Wearing ‘ICE’ Jacket In Hispanic Community Church Causes Stir”:

A man wearing a jacket that resembled one worn by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents caused a stir at a San Rafael church during a Spanish-speaking service, police said.

The June 4 incident got the attention of the Canal Community Alliance and Congressman Jared Huffman’s office. Police contacted ICE and the FBI and learned the man was not employed by either law enforcement organization.

But the man is a San Francisco city employee and was placed on leave after he showed up wearing the jacket during the Spanish-language service at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection.

The man was driving a government vehicle registered to the city of San Francisco when he showed up at the church. The vehicle belongs to the San Francisco International Airport, city officials confirmed.

The man allegedly took pictures on a cellphone in the church parking lot and videotaped the people inside of the church, police Lt. Raffaello Pata said.

His jacket had ‘ICE’ written on it with an official looking emblem or seal on the back, Pata said.

While the man was not an ICE agent, he looked enough like one that he scared the congregation at their Sunday evening service and the incident sparked a police investigation.

The individual has since been suspended from his job but despite the false alarm, the congregation should thank him for what basically amounted to a live drill for when ICE really does come knocking on the door.