ICE is forcing a reckoning among America’s religious leaders
Minister JaNaé Imari addresses the crowd at a press conference held by community faith leaders on January 8, 2026, in Minneapolis. Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images
by Christian Paz – Jan 22, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST
It’s a recurring feature of anti-ICE protests: the presence of pastors, priests, and reverends on the front lines of demonstrations, and behind the scenes, organizing in their communities.
In Chicago last year, religious leaders were pepper sprayed or shot with pepper balls. In Minneapolis this month, they’ve joined protesters in calling for restraint from federal agents and humane treatment of immigrants. And nationally, there is growing realization from some leaders of the need for moral clarity and pushback to the Trump administration.
