The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has generated a secret network of safe houses in California to protect illegal immigrants from ICE raids and possible deportation, CNN reported Sunday.
In a report aired on "CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield," Pastor Ada Valiente showcased work on a safe house in Los Angeles that would accommodate three families, admitting the home would hide people because "that's what we need to do as a community."
Another home in the city is being prepared by a Jewish man, who was not identified.
"It's hard as a Jew not to think about all the people who did open their doors and their homes and take risks to safeguard Jews in moments where they were really vulnerable as well as those that didn't," he told CNN. "We'd like to be the people who did."
CNN reported those involved in the underground network argue that because the safehouses are private homes, they fall under Fourth Amendement protection, and would need a warrant before authorities could enter.
The Rev. Zach Hoover told CNN faith groups across Los Angeles County could hide 100 illegal immigrants currently — and that the number could balloon into the thousands.
"We're trusting in God that he would kind of help us, guide us, help us to make the right decisions. There's some element of what we're entering into that I don't know what the consequences are, but I know what the moral consequences are for me if I don't act," Valiente told the outlet.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, told CNN the law is clear about what these groups are intending to do.
"They're committing a felony. Harboring is a felony," Krikorian told CNN. "Regular folks hiding people in a basement face jail time because it is ultimately a smuggling conspiracy."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.