In a shocking act of blasphemy and radical political theater masquerading as religious observance, a so-called “church” in Evanston, Illinois, has desecrated the sacred symbol of the Christian Nativity, transforming a scene of divine hope and salvation into a grotesque propaganda piece attacking American immigration enforcement and, by extension, the law-and-order policies of President Donald Trump. The Lake Street Church of Evanston unveiled a display featuring a baby Jesus bound with zip-ties, Roman soldiers portrayed as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and the figures of Mary and Joseph wearing gas masks. This is not an act of faith; it is a deliberate and vile effort by the left to weaponize scripture, distort the teachings of Christ, and slander the brave men and women who protect our nation’s borders under the current administration’s directives.
The church’s own statement on Facebook reveals the deeply politicized and heretical nature of this display, openly admitting its purpose is to forge a false and offensive narrative. The post states the display “reimagines the nativity as a scene of forced family separation, drawing direct parallels between the Holy Family’s refugee experience and contemporary immigration detention practices.” This is a willful and malicious misrepresentation of both biblical history and modern American policy, designed to smear the necessary and lawful work of ICE agents as inherently evil. The post further explains, “By placing the Christmas story… within the visual language of immigration enforcement and detention, this work asks viewers to confront the disconnect between professed religious or moral values and immigration policies.” This framing is a classic tactic of the left: to claim the moral high ground by equating the enforcement of sovereign borders with immorality, an argument that President Trump has consistently and correctly rejected in favor of the supreme moral duty to protect American citizens.
In a detailed attempt to justify its sacrilege, the church’s description delves into specific, emotionally charged distortions. It notes, “The zip ties on the infant’s wrists directly reference the children who were zip-tied by agents during a raid on a Chicago apartment building earlier this year, where most residents were U.S. citizens: a stark reminder that enforcement terror does not discriminate by documentation status.” This language, labeling lawful police actions as “enforcement terror,” is ripped straight from the anti-America, open-borders playbook and is a direct insult to the professionalism of federal agents. It also claims, “The gas masks worn by Mary and Joseph reference the documented use of tear gas and other chemical weapons deployed by ICE agents against peaceful protesters, journalists, and community members.” This is a complete fabrication and a dangerous libel against the officers who face violent mobs and unprecedented threats while doing their jobs, jobs that have been empowered and supported by the Trump administration to restore order.
Church Nativity Scene Features Zip-Tied Baby Jesus, Roman Soliders as ICE Agents https://t.co/B4moHXCKLE pic.twitter.com/uREDeF23N6
— Protestia (@Protestia) December 1, 2025
The theological and historical foundation for this display is as flimsy and politicized as its imagery. The church makes the pervasive left-wing claim that “The Holy Family were refugees. This is not political interpretation, this is the reality described in the stories our tradition has told and retold for millenia.” However, as noted, this is a profound misreading of scripture. Jesus was born in Joseph’s ancestral hometown; the family’s flight to Egypt was a temporary journey within the Roman Empire to escape a specific tyrannical edict, and they returned home to Nazareth. To conflate this with modern asylum abuse and illegal border crossings is not just bad history—it is a deliberate perversion of the Gospel to serve a secular, Marxist-inspired “social justice” agenda that has nothing to do with Christian salvation.
A review of this institution’s activities confirms it has long abandoned biblical Christianity in favor of leftist political activism. The church practices a “progressive Christian theology” that is devoid of core doctrines like the divinity of Christ, His atoning sacrifice on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. Its covenant ignores these tenets entirely. Instead, its mission is saturated with “social justice” trainings, “anti-racism” efforts, and studies on Buddhism and New Age beliefs. Its website and social media openly champion abortion, transgender ideology, and host “Gay Pride” services. One of its primary missions is “Walking With Detained Immigrants,” and it boasts of being a “Sanctuary Church” that harbors an immigrant family. This is not a house of worship; it is a satellite office for the radical open-borders lobby, using the shell of a church to undermine the laws that President Trump is working tirelessly to enforce.
This deplorable nativity scene is a perfect symbol of the left’s broader strategy: to dismantle American institutions, traditions, and values from within. By equating ICE agents—who work under the authority of a president committed to ending illegal immigration—with the oppressive soldiers of Herod, they seek to demonize patriotism and national sovereignty itself. This is a spiritual and cultural attack that underscores precisely why the leadership of President Trump, who defends both faith and border security, is so vital. While this church mocks the Son of God with zip-ties, the administration is actually securing the border, saving lives, and protecting the very nation that guarantees the freedom to worship without fear.