Father Fabian Arias sat in his car inside a Queens parking lot and hung up his cellphone. He had just finished giving advice to a man who was begging for help with an upcoming immigration hearing at 26 Federal Plaza.
Within minutes of placing the device on the dashboard, it began vibrating again — another new voice on the other end of the line, pleading for aid in their immigration case. The calls come in a constant flood, day and night, some even from those held in ICE detention. This is all just one part of the padre’s day.
Arias, an immigrant from Argentina who presides over St. Peter’s Church Midtown, has dedicated his life to supporting fellow immigrants as they navigate the murky assimilation process into the United States, including endeavoring to help those who have had family detained by ICE. According to the priest, the trials and tribulations of the country’s newest residents are nothing new, recalling federal agents raiding factories under the Bush 43 presidency.
However, as hard as things were in years past, Arias told amNewYork that he has never seen anything like the “aggressive” tactics of the immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump.
“Aggressive, verbal, physical, psychological. For one year, Trump has done to the immigrants, especially the Latinos, it’s very, very aggressive,” Arias said, comparing the current state of America to the military occupation of Argentina. “Never in my 62 years have I seen anything like this. The only thing similar to this situation was when I was 13 years old, the military occupied my country for eight years, and 30 people went missing, but this is more aggressive.”
At St. Peter’s Church, Arias celebrates Mass regularly for a primarily immigrant congregation, many of whom have had loved ones detained by ICE. After studying at a Catholic school in Argentina and receiving a scholarship to study in New York in 1989, he would visit frequently before making the move permanent in 2002. He led his first parish in Harlem and began his journey caring for the immigrant community in 2007 with the New Sanctuary Coalition.
Now he is a shining figure in the immigration community, a man many look to for inspiration, guidance, and, on occasion, miracles — Arias has helped facilitate the release of several individuals detained by ICE through the assistance of legal aid groups. But heavy is the head that wears the crown, and Arias deals in far more sadness than joy.
While Saint Peter’s Church is a sanctuary for those suffering, there is also an air of sorrow pervading the house of worship due to the often violent separations many of its congregation have suffered through.
“I feel I am privileged because I am a citizen. I wish everyone were treated with the same equality; this is my dream. This is my dream,” Arias said. “At the moment, there is a very diabolical situation with this administration, and I pray to God that God changes their hearts, moves their hearts for the good.”
He is not relying solely on prayer; Arias is taking action into his own hands.
Every Sunday after Mass, Arias holds special sessions with lawyers to offer legal advice to families impacted by Trump’s immigration crackdown. He also works with volunteer groups and helps escort families to their court hearings inside 26 Federal Plaza.
Here, the priest comes face-to-face with masked ICE agents who wrestle people from their legally mandated appointments and pull them out of sight. Arias has been on hand to witness some of the dramatic moments of New York’s federal detentions, including when several journalists were injured by heavy-handed Feds and the moment an immigrant mother was shoved to the ground by an ICE supervisor.
“I saw the very vulnerable situation; it’s a very vulnerable situation, and they feel no compassion about this. I remember the Monica case, when Monica said to the very disgusting person, Victor, she said, ‘Take me, not my husband.’ In every case, I want to say take me, not them,” Arias said.
Arias admits he can’t serve the community alone and has dozens of volunteers who aid him in this endeavor. Yet, with the threat of facing down towering, bulky masked federal agents a constant and likely possibility, the padre says the dangers are proving too much for some. He told amNewYork that nearly half of his volunteers have quit due to fear.
“I think so far we have lost 40% of the volunteers, because they really feel scared,” Arias said. “I understand that the people feel fear, I really understand. At this moment, there is a risk because they attack people.”
Arias is no stranger to intimidation himself. According to the priest, on one occasion, when returning to the country after traveling, he was ushered into an interrogation room inside JFK airport and questioned about his history. He believes it was simply scare tactics.
Still, Arias has not let it phase him. He continues to aid immigrants and not only in legal matters.
Every Tuesday, he holds a massive food giveaway in Jackson Heights for immigrants living with food insecurity. amNewYork followed Arias on a pilgrimage of sorts as he prepared for the enormous donation.
Arias made several trips throughout Queens, some to tout bags of bread, others to supermarkets, where he purchased food items to give away, funded in part by donations from parishioners and community members through the church’s donation site. He could be seen rushing with a cart surrounded by slush and frozen snow through the streets as he raced to gather a bounty for those in need. This was all in addition to a truck dropping off crates of food.
A deluge of phone calls, immigration rights, and a trek for food each week make up Arias’ life. While he admits he is stretched thin, he pledges not to give in and to continue helping those in need, as the shadow of ICE continues to cast over the Big Apple.
“The problem now ICE is everywhere. In many cases, they are in front of houses and in front of jobs,” Arias said.
