“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Using Isaiah 41:10, the Department of Homeland Security recently released a video depicting their work — arrests and deportations of migrants — as a righteous endeavor. The video begins with the words “for God and Country,” followed by agents equipped with full tactical gear and, as we are led to believe, the full armor of God. Doing the Lord’s work on domestic soil apparently requires exaggerated military theatrics and expensive equipment.
Yet, recent data on detainees and deportees suggests that the vast majority have no criminal record. College students, pastors, childcare providers, and PTA volunteers have all been cast in the role of scapegoat — the recipients of blame, dehumanizing rhetoric, and the unjust policies that authoritarianism requires to leverage its power.
Closer to my home, masked ICE officers have recently descended upon New Orleans just in time for our annual celebration of the arrival of a brown-skinned, refuge-seeking Christ. The irony isn’t lost on me, and the sorrow I feel is immense.
A man takes a photo of a Nativity scene portrayed as an ICE detention center in front of the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, on Dec. 15, 2025. (LM Otero/Associated Press)
Schools in New Orleans are trying to reassure parents that their children are safe. However, attendance has waned and workers fearful for themselves and their families are staying home. As a community, we are holding prayer vigils for our immigrant friends and neighbors, hosting information sessions on how to respond legally and faithfully, and distributing whistles for community members to warn others of the presence of ICE.
Code 1: ICE is nearby (short, broken rhythm) TWEET – TWEET – TWEET
Code 2: ICE is detaining someone (three long blasts) TWEEEEET – TWEEEEET – TWEEEEET
At the same time, the White House has felt it necessary to create a task force to root out anti-Christian bias, and extremists, folks like Sean Feucht, are using this holiday season to host a “Crimes Against Christians” emergency summit at the United States Capitol to discuss Christian persecution worldwide. If you are unfamiliar with Feucht, he is a traveling musician who conducts spiritual warfare against demons and demonic strongholds through prayer and worship songs. He’s sort of like the OG K-pop demon hunter. Feucht’s recent social media posts promoted the “Crimes against Christians” event and also praised the actions of ICE, giving thanks for mass deportations. However, if Feucht was truly concerned about persecuted Christians, he just might consider who are choosing to migrate to the U.S.
According to Pew Research Center data, Christians make up the largest share of migrants worldwide and they tend to migrate to countries that have large Christian populations. The U.S. has over a quarter of the world’s Christian migrants and most of these emigrate from Mexico. It seems if we are to have an honest conversation about persecution or crimes against Christians, we should consider, first and foremost, the migrant who is our neighbor, who is made in God’s image, and who needs our collective voice and support right now.
As I and so many others continue to discern how to faithfully respond to this moment, I do believe this to be true: Jesus would not be wearing tactical gear and armed with an assault rifle. Jesus would be carrying a whistle.
Karrie Gaspard-Hogewood is a licensed social worker and Ph.D. candidate studying Christian Nationalism as part of her sociology program at Tulane University.
NOTE: This is part of our Unsettling Advent devotionals running Nov. 30-Dec. 24. You can subscribe for free and receive them each morning in your inbox.
