LOS ANGELES — Members of the LAPD stepped up to the pulpit at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Sunday morning to address the largely Latine congregation to dispel unfounded rumors.

“There are fears in the community that the Los Angeles Police Department will be deporting people or deports people or works with immigration, and that’s not true,” said Commander German Hurtado, a Hispanic community liaison for the department.

According to Special Order 40, which has been in effect since 1979, LAPD officers can not initiate police action for the purpose of determining someone’s immigration status. Nor can they arrest or book someone for entering the country illegally.

“We’re not here to ask people where they were born, how they got to the United States, or their immigration status,” Commander Hurtado explained. “We don’t participate in any civil immigration laws.”

Concerns have been heightened among the immigrant community since President-elect Donald Trump won a second term in office. He promised mass deportation during his campaign and this weekend said he plans to deport all immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.

It’s that fear Commander Hurtado is trying to calm.

“The City of Los Angeles has been a sanctuary city and we welcome immigrants and we understand they want to contribute and they want to be part of this great city,” he said.