A Massachusetts church displayed an “ICE was here” sign in its Nativity scene, prompting mixed reactions from community members, including outrage from a local religious group.
The sign, displayed at Roman Catholic church St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, replaced the figures of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus in the Nativity display, according to local media reports and photos of the scene. A second sign with additional information was also placed underneath the “ICE was here” poster.
“The Holy Family is safe in The Sanctuary of our Church. If you see ICE please call LUCE,” the second sign reads, referring to the LUCE Immigration Justice Network of Massachusetts.
Rev. Stephen Josoma told WCVB the sign was his idea.
The protest comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, following the president’s promise to carry out the largest deportation program in U.S. history. ICE has carried out special operations in several major cities this year, including Boston, which is just 20 miles northeast of Dedham. Immigration agents arrested 54,000 people across the U.S. in November alone.
"What is the objective by doing this? To help people recognize the plight of people who are really in dire need, and how are we treating them," Josoma told WCVB. "We're supposed to bring out the best of people in Christmas."
Pictures of the Nativity scene were shared on the church’s Facebook group, eliciting a mixed reaction. One user, who posted photos of the sign, wrote that he was “extremely thankful to be a member of this parish.”
Meanwhile, C.J. Doyle, the Executive Director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, called the sign “divisive.”
"This is not right, it's divisive, it's disrespectful, it takes away from the essential Christmas message,” Doyle told WCVB.
Pope Leo XIV has been critical of the U.S. deportation push. Last month, he told reporters he was troubled by reports of violent arrests of migrants in the U.S.
"We have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts. There's a system of justice," Pope Leo said.
"No one has said that the United States should have open borders," he added. "I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how, and when."
Josoma said his congregation has worked to help resettle immigrants, Boston.com reports.
“They’ve done everything that they’re supposed to do, but their status could be in jeopardy, and some of our people would be in danger being killed if they did go back,” Josoma told the outlet.
The church has created similar displays in the past, including a Nativity scene in 2018 that featured baby Jesus in a cage and the wise men behind a wall, Boston.com reports. The scene was designed to protest family separation during President Donald Trump’s first term.
That Nativity scene drew nationwide attention, and was even criticized by Fox News’s Sean Hannity at the time, according to Boston.com.
Despite the criticism from some, Josoma said many community members have been “very supportive.”
“It’s religious art. All art is supposed to move you,” he told Boston.com. “They hate to face that because it’s the reality, so they attack you for using religion in a sacreligious way, which I find kind of amusing.”
The Independent has contacted the St. Susanna Parish for comment.
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