WORSHIPPERS at a confirmation service in Chicago were issued with whistles to blow if they saw Immigrations, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers.

In response to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, the emergency signal was introduced at St Teresa de Ávila Episcopal Church, Illinois, which offers Spanish-language and bilingual church services each week.

Since immigration raids began in September, the large congregation’s numbers have fallen sharply.

The Revd Gary Cox told the Episcopal News Service that attendance was down by as much as 75 per cent, and fewer than 20 people were attending across the two services at the end of October. Numbers are also down with parish fund-raising and other events.

The fear is also affecting those with legal residency and American citizens. They “are at risk just because they’re Latino and because they live in this area”, he said.

For last week’s confirmation service, the church took extra precautions to give people confidence to attend in person, including hanging “private area” signs on parts of the building.

Raids by ICE have targeted Chicago and other cities. The President has petitioned the Supreme Court to approve deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, which he has described as a “killing field”.

The Bishop of Chicago, the Rt Revd Paula Clark, last month visited a parishioner, Willian González, who had been detained as the result of an ICE raid on a barber shop (News, 24 October). Mr González has now been released after a judge ruled that ICE had no right to detain him indefinitely.

The diocese of Chicago celebrated his release. In an email to supporters, its rapid-response team of clergy and lay leaders said: “He has been reunited with his family, and the empty chair we have endured since Sept. 12 is empty no longer. Today, we rejoice. . . Willian is home.”