Charlotte church depicts ICE arresting Holy Family in Trump-era nativity scene

A church in Charlotte North Carolina reportedly sought to disturb passersby this Christmas with a nativity scene that depicts Jesus Mary and Joseph with masked immigration agents wearing bulletproof vests and brandishing handcuffs According to The Charlotte Observer Missiongathering Church criticized immigration enforcement as the church pastor s goal was to force viewers to confront the fear various immigrant families in Charlotte felt following fresh immigration arrests in the city The installation displays the biblical account of Mary Joseph and Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem with figures dressed as ICE agents added to the scene Rev Andrew Shipley recounted the paper that the depiction mirrors what immigrant families are experiencing nowadays He mentioned the church had been helping people who were afraid after the U S Customs and Frontier Protection landed in the city ICE ACTING DIRECTOR BOSTON ARCHDIOCESE DEMAND ICE WAS HERE NATIVITY BE REMOVED FROM MASSACHUSETTS CHURCH The goal is to disturb to make people feel something Shipley stated What s been happening to Charlotte families is disturbing and is graphic and horrifying The installation was reportedly created by an artist group called TaskForce which has been involved in similar installations across the country The group reportedly contacted the church by phone and email with the idea enlisting local artists to build the display The goal is to translate the Christmas story into a modern context Shipley informed the Observer If the Holy Family had been in Charlotte two weeks ago they would have been putting the baby Jesus in handcuffs because he wouldn t have his papers NC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS ICE CHARLOTTE OPS THE EFFECT OF EX-GOV OPPONENT REPEATEDLY BLUNTING COOPERATIONImmigration and Customs Enforcement ICE has increased arrests since President Donald Trump returned to the White House Missiongathering Church and U S Customs and Perimeter Protection did not without delay respond to Fox News Digital s request for comment SPECIFIC CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING CONFUSION ON DEPORTATIONS STANCE Other churches around the country have also used Nativity scenes to criticize ICE and highlight immigration issues A similar reinterpretation of the nativity scene appeared at Lake Street Church of Evanston Illinois depicting baby Jesus with his hands zip-tied and guarded by figures styled as ICE agents A similar nativity scene at a Massachusetts church prompted calls for removal from the acting ICE director and the Archdiocese of Boston