Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

(RNS) — The Rev. Juan Carlos Calderón voted for Donald Trump in 2024 because he believed Trump shared his values. “I am pro-life from the womb to the tomb,” Calderón said in Spanish. While he immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela and pastors a majority immigrant church, he wasn’t concerned about Trump’s mass deportation agenda — he said he believed the administration would focus on deporting gang members or immigrants who demonstrate “irresponsibility,” like driving under the influence.

Two years later, his Lake Worth Beach, Florida, church, Un Nuevo Comienzo (A New Start), an Assemblies of God congregation, is reeling from the administration’s mass deportation agenda. “I was really wrong,” Calderón said. “They’re not looking for criminals.”

Two of his church members were detained and had to leave the U.S. — neither of them had criminal records, said Calderón. In one case, a pregnant U.S.…