Seven Unitarian Universalist Clergy Arrested During Protest Against ICE Targeting Center

Seven Vermont clergy were arrested while protesting the National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center in Williston, Vermont, on September 4, 2026. The faith leaders blocked the building’s entrances, seeking to draw attention to the facility’s role in supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The protest was part of a broader opposition to what participants described as President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies.

The National Criminal Analysis and Targeting Center is one of three major facilities that assist ICE agents in refining their enforcement strategies. During the protest, clergy members sang, prayed, and recited the names of individuals who had died in ICE interactions or detention. Rev. Rebecca Girrell, a United Methodist pastor and one of those arrested, emphasized that her faith compelled her to oppose the deportation campaign, stating, “Human beings are not targets and that God is a God of justice and of love.”

Among those arrested were two United Church of Christ ministers, an Episcopal priest, the archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, a Quaker leader, and a Unitarian Universalist minister. Rev. Karen G. Johnston, senior minister at First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington, was physically carried out by law enforcement during the arrest. In a statement, she explained that her Unitarian Universalist values of justice, equity, generosity, interdependence, and transformation led her to refuse cooperation with the system she described as fueled by the center.

Vermont State Police released mug shots of the arrested clergy and charged them with unlawful trespass. The incident has sparked discussions about the role of faith communities in addressing immigration policy and the ethical implications of government operations. The protest reflects a broader movement within religious groups to challenge practices they view as unjust, aligning with Micah 6:8, which calls for acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.

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