(Damon Casarez | Special to The Tribune) Samuel B. Hoyos Ortega sits in his bishop’s office at a Los Angeles area meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. When federal agents swarmed Los Angeles, immigrant-heavy congregations went to work protecting the vulnerable among them.
Tamarra Kemsley has been a reporter at The Tribune since 2021 but has been covering religion and politics since 2019. Her work has appeared in Religion News Service, the New York Post, and Religion & Politics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Brigham Young University and a master’s in Islamic studies from Hebrew University.