The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Customs and Border Protection carried out an operation in downtown Chicago over the weekend that resulted in eight people being taken into custody, including a family of four. The encounter was captured on cellphone video at Millennium Park on Sunday, and for the first time, on Tuesday, NBC Chicago heard from the family’s pastor about the detainment. “We knew immediately she was a member of our church by the picture. When we saw, that’s how we all knew,” said Pastor Tomas Sanabria. “There was somebody who did call me and said did you see?" The pastor recognized the woman in the video as Noemi Chavez, her husband Jaime Ramirez, and their two children: a 3-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. “The picture of the daughter is what breaks my heart and breaks everybody’s hearts, when you see her clutching onto her doll and seeing that she doesn’t know what’s going to happen, she has a fear of a young child,” he said. The pastor said the family arrived in Chicago from Guatemala several years ago seeking a better life. They’ve been with his congregation ever since. “She was involved in the kitchen ministry," he said. "She was involved with just helping out and the child, the young daughter was timid, very quiet,” he said. “The young son was a normal kid, ran around and did his own little thing.” Local Pastor Sanabria has not talked to the family since the arrest but has learned Chavez and her two children are being held at O’Hare Airport. Her husband is being processed at the ICE facility in Broadview, according to the pastor. He said the detainment has affected not only his congregation but also their neighbors and friends. “Her classmates are hurting," he said. "That mother worked in some place and where she worked, they’re hurting as well,” he said. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement to NBC Chicago when asked about the arrest: “On September 28th, CBP carried out an operation in downtown Chicago arresting 8 illegal aliens who broke our nation’s immigration laws." “Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.” Meanwhile, the pastor said he is relying on his faith as he read his favorite scripture, calling on others to love your neighbors, uplift and be a guiding light like Christ in time of need. “If they were fearful, he would take away their fear, and that’s what we’re doing as a church,” Sanabria said. “So if anybody feels upset with me because of what I’m saying, all I’m doing is speaking of the Word of God.”