ICE has gone too far

Editor’s note: This is one of two alternate perspectives on immigration enforcement. Read the other piece here.

The federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota and Chicago has gone too far, and ICE’s tactics are biblically wrong and illegal. While we all can agree that we need immigration reform, border security and deportation of criminals, what ICE is doing is inhumane.

The killings of two U.S. citizen, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, are the worst of their immoral actions. But they are also brutalizing people, pulling people over on the basis of skin color and treating people with contempt — one of the sins Jesus pronounces the greatest judgment on in Matthew 5:22.

Even a police chief in Minneapolis stated ICE was violating the law, endangering citizens and escalating dangerous situations by their antagonistic attitudes. The police have the most to lose here. ICE is destroying trust in law enforcement, which makes law enforcement so much harder for the good police out there.

Related: Anti-immigration, pro-love of neighbor

The criticisms of ICE cross party lines. Chris Madel, a leading Republican contender for governor in Minnesota, withdrew from the race because of the “unconstitutional” actions of ICE, even though he originally supported bringing ICE to Minnesota. Madel said that ICE’s operation is an “unmitigated disaster.”

He criticized the ICE policy of stopping anyone of color as wrong, saying he personally had heard from local Asian and Hispanic law enforcement officers who had been pulled over by ICE. He cited the “national Republican stated retribution on the citizens of our state” before sending in ICE as wrong, saying the party has “made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota.”

Because of the outcry over the ICE killings, Republican Senator Rand Paul has called for the leaders of ICE to testify at an open hearing.

As Christians, we know God has special concern for refugees and aliens: “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).

Many refugee organizations are Christian. One of them, World Relief, posted a plea for help for legal refugees being taken by ICE — immigrants they have helped resettle. These are people Christians have helped, people we have brought to Christ. We cannot look away when they are being treated illegally.

ICE has been terrorizing and harassing U.S. citizens. One of my children in Chicago was tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, shot with rubber bullets and thrown to the ground multiple times, bruised and scraped up while protesting ICE.

The agency has overstepped its authority, broken laws and not been held accountable. If we have a government agency breaking laws with impunity, we are moving to a lawless society. Anyone reading Romans 13 in favor of law and order must call for accountability for ICE.

Not only are the actions of ICE wrong, they have caused the agency to lose their credibility. This is evidenced by the vast numbers of people protesting their presence and tactics in Minneapolis. These aren’t radical liberals who are part of some organized anti-government group.

Attendees gather during a vigil where Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.

Many are ordinary citizens — professionals, Christians, neighbors, moms — who saw what was happening and couldn’t passively watch. They know at this point they are risking their own lives, but they have not gone into hiding and instead have come out in greater numbers. In a video by Christian singer Sara Groves, she explains her involvement and answers questions.

The ICE crackdown is especially egregious to us as Christians because of the inhumane way some of the agents are treating people. A recording of ICE’s fatal encounter with Renée Good captures an ICE agent calling her a vulgar name immediately after one of them shoots her. This is hatred. This is contempt.

“We can uphold the law and uphold human dignity. We have before. We have to again.”

Some agents see any protestor or immigrant as the enemy. One video catches an agent hollering, “It’s like ‘Call of Duty.’ Pretty cool, huh?” It’s not the law enforcement that’s the issue. It’s the spirit, the dehumanizing.

We can all be in favor of good law enforcement and still speak out passionately against totalitarian, ungodly tactics. In fact, we have to. It’s our responsibility. As David French wrote, “It’s not a binary choice between brutal enforcement and unrestrained immigration.”

We can uphold the law and uphold human dignity. We have before. We have to again.

KELLY WALDEN is a mom of four, married to Wayne, owns a small business and attends the Reidland Church of Christ in Paducah, Ky.

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