ICE Acting Director and Boston Archdiocese Call for Removal of 'ICE was here' Nativity from Massachusetts Church.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and the Archdiocese of Boston are demanding that a Nativity scene in a Massachusetts parish remove a sign reading ICE was here, which was displayed above an empty manger.

Lyons stated that the installation contributes to a harmful narrative and cited rising assaults targeting ICE personnel. The display at St. Susanna Parish in Dedham included an empty crib and information for an organization that tracks immigration enforcement activity in the state.

Rev. Stephen Josoma, pastor of St. Susanna, explained that the church stages an annual exhibit aimed at placing the birth of Christ within modern global circumstances. He described the setup as religious art intended to provoke reflection and emotional response.

Lyons criticized Josoma for using his position to promote political messaging and commended the Archdiocese of Boston for objecting to the display. He emphasized that many employees within ICE are Catholics and first-generation Americans who should not be linked to what he called an extremist portrayal.

Terrence Donilon, Secretary for Communications and Public Affairs for the Archdiocese, labeled the Nativity sign as divisive and insisted on its removal. He noted that church guidelines restrict the use of sacred imagery for any purpose other than worship and stated that the parish did not receive authorization to modify the traditional manger scene.

The Archdiocese asserted that the display must be dismantled and the Nativity restored to its intended form. Josoma has presented politically charged Nativity interpretations in previous years, addressing subjects such as gun violence and climate issues.

Similar displays criticizing immigration enforcement have appeared in churches nationwide, including one in Illinois portraying the Holy Family in the context of forced separation.

Author: Connor Blake