ICE fears weigh on some during Ramadan in San Diego

• Instead of focusing on prayer and gathering at the mosque, congregants are worried about whether it's even safe to attend community events, she said.

Driving the news: Right before Ramadan began in mid-February, CAIR held "know your rights" workshops at local mosques.

• That work is continuing through Ramadan, with information and flyers telling people ICE agents do not have the right to enter a private religious space, Nizam said.
• Less than 1% of San Diego's total population is Muslim, according to the Pew Research Center, but the city has one of the largest populations of Somali refugees in the country.

CAIR also gives schools resources to help support Muslim students on campuses, including giving students to-go breakfast and lunch when they are fasting.

Threat level: There haven't been any reported mosque ICE raids nationwide, but the Trump administration did rescind a 30-year ban on immigration enforcement at or near places of worship.

• Religious leaders sued elsewhere in the country, and some federal judges ruled in their favor.

But the sense of unease persists for some, Nizam said.

• "There is a sense of fear because of the uncertainty of their own immigration status and the uncertainty of the safety of themselves and their families," she said. "So people are living under the shadow of that."

Friction point: That wariness conflicts with mosques being a welcoming place for everyone, she said.

• "We're a very welcoming community, so when I go to a mosque and I tell them to watch their door and question any new faces, I really feel bad," Nizam said.

The Department of Homeland Security wrote in a statement to Axios that ICE doesn't raid churches or places of worship.

• "The facts are dangerous criminals are no longer able to hide in places of worship to avoid arrest," the statement said. "The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense if an active public safety were to flee into a church, or a child sex offender was working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect public safety."

Catch up quick: Ramadan is celebrated in the ninth lunar month in the Islamic calendar, which this year is Feb. 17-March 19, according to Interfaith America.

• It marks the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.
• Muslims fast from sun-up to sundown during Ramadan.
• Then they gather to pray and for an iftar, or community meal.

Fun fact: Nizam said with the early sunset times, it can be challenging to make it home in time to break her fast.

• "So we usually make a mad dash home, break our fast there, and then after that, we go for night prayers to the mosque," she said.
• If she gets stuck in traffic, she breaks her fast with a small snack like a date in the car.

Inside the room: After breaking their fasts, people have nightly prayers at the mosque at 7:30pm, or 8:30pm after the time changes.

• During the last 10 days of Ramadan, people really immerse themselves in prayer, Nizam said.

"So a lot of people go to the mosque for late-night prayers, sometimes in the middle of the night to pray," she said. "Also, some mosques will have a pre-dawn meal before we start praying. So the last 10 days are the sprint to the finish line, and people are really submerged in prayer and community at that time."

The bottom line: Ramadan is a time of community, when people see each other at mosques every day for 30 days, Nizam said.

• "When Ramadan ends, we're really sad because we won't be able to see people on a daily basis," she said.