On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that an illegal immigrant has been charged with faking an ICE abduction.

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From Fox News:

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said.

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This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s “loved ones and attorneys,” who claimed she had been “kidnapped” by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25.

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Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others “planned a hoax kidnapping” for their benefit, “including their own pecuniary gain.”

The affidavit said that Calderon’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was “taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle.”

So, in other words, Calderon and her family faked this kidnapping to make a quick buck. They likely felt they could make easy money capitalizing on the souring public opinion of ICE.

Fox notes that Calderon is currently in U.S. Immigration custody. She faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if she is convicted.

Why is this story so significant? Well, as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli pointed out in the Fox News article, some are currently spreading “dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants.” This has led to a dramatic increase in attacks against ICE agents. Calderon may have been looking to make money, but her story, even if false, only serves to deepen the division in our country and energize those targeting law enforcement.

Much as we loathe to admit it, there’s a chance others will try to fake crimes like Calderon’s. Let’s ask God to heal the division in our land, to cut through lies and deception, and to protect every ICE agent in America!

What do you think of this? Share your thoughts, prayers, and scriptures below.

(Excerpt from Fox News. Photo Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)