Local Unitarian Universalist Clergy Join Faith Leaders in Condemning Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

Local clergy and faith leaders have condemned the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown as “antithetical to the Gospel,” expressing deep concern over the treatment of immigrants and detainees. Outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, more than four dozen ministers gathered each Friday during October to pray for the detainees inside and for the repentance of federal agents involved in the arrests. Rev. Jason Lydon of the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago led the service, declaring, “Liberation must be attained. We lift up a vision of compassion, mercy and love.” The weekly liturgy, part of a broader movement of religious opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, has grown in intensity as the so-called Operation Midway Blitz enters its eighth week.

The movement has seen increased rhetoric from local faith leaders, shifting from supportive statements about Chicago’s immigrant community to direct condemnation of the Department of Homeland Security’s tactics. Chicago native Pope Leo XIV joined the chorus, denouncing the mistreatment of immigrants during an address. While acknowledging the right of nations to protect their borders, he emphasized the moral obligation to provide refuge. “Increasingly inhumane measures — even politically celebrated — are being adopted to treat these ‘undesirables’ as if they were trash and not human,” he said, according to the Holy See. “Christianity refers to the God of love, who makes us all brothers and sisters and asks us to live as brothers and sisters.”

Locally, more than 250 Christian clergy members across denominations recently signed an open letter condemning the aggressive tactics of ICE, which have gripped much of the Chicago area in fear. The letter, titled “Jesus was tear gassed at Broadview,” references the often-tumultuous protests at the west suburban ICE facility, some of which ended with federal agents deploying pepper balls, rubber bullets, and tear gas. The letter calls on the Trump administration and ICE to repent, urging them to “set aside their indifference and cruelty” and “choose not to do this, cross to the other side of the fence and join us for Communion.”

Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, a long-time advocate for immigrant rights, released a statement affirming the church’s commitment to justice and compassion. The growing opposition reflects a broader concern among religious leaders about the ethical implications of immigration policies that prioritize enforcement over mercy. As the administration continues its deportation efforts, faith communities remain steadfast in their call for accountability, justice, and the protection of human dignity.

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