DEDHAM, Mass. – In the midst of a snow-covered scene, a baby Jesus lies in a manger outside Lake Street Church in Evanston, Illinois. Wrapped not in swaddling clothes but a silver emergency blanket, his wrists are zip-tied. Nearby, Mary dons a plastic gas mask, standing alongside Roman soldiers whose tactical vests bear the label “ICE.”

Not far from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility known for stirring protests, another Chicago suburb witnesses a similarly thought-provoking display. Here, the Urban Village Church’s nativity scene carries a bold message: “Due to ICE activity in our community the Holy Family is in hiding.” Meanwhile, in Dedham, Massachusetts, the Christ child is conspicuously absent from a nativity scene at St. Susanna Parish, replaced by a sign reading: “ICE was here.”

These unconventional interpretations of the nativity are sparking both applause and criticism as they shed light on federal immigration policies under the Trump administration. The creators of these displays aim to recontextualize the ancient narrative, presenting the Holy Family as refugees to echo the current fears of deportation and family separations affecting many, including their own congregants.

Proponents argue that these displays are biblically justified. However, opponents denounce them as sacrilegious and unnecessarily political, with some suggesting the churches should forfeit their tax-exempt status. In response, the Massachusetts archdiocese has demanded that the nativity be “restored to its proper sacred purpose.”

This controversy unfolds amid escalating immigration enforcement, particularly in states and cities where local leaders oppose the crackdown. Federal figures reveal that September alone saw the arrest of at least 2,000 individuals in Illinois and Massachusetts.

‘A grave scandal for Catholics’

For churches, Christmas is a time “when we have public art out on the lawn and we get an opportunity to say something,” said Rev. Michael Woolf, senior minister at Lake Street. Another nativity scene created by the Baptist congregation one recent year showed Jesus in rubble — a “plea for peace” in Gaza, he said.

St. Susanna parishioners locked baby Jesus in a cage in 2018 to protest how President Donald Trump’s first administration was separating families at the border. Another year, they depicted the infant floating in water polluted with plastic to highlight climate change.

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning ordered this year’s display taken down. As of Thursday, Father Steve Josoma was seeking a meeting and had yet to comply.

“The people of God have the right to expect that, when they come to church, they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship — not divisive political messaging,” a diocesan spokesperson said.

Some Catholic activists want the priest punished.

“This is really a grave scandal for Catholics, and I think he’s playing with fire,” said C.J. Doyle, director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts. “The archbishop can remove him as pastor, suspend him from active ministry — he can even close the parish and sell the property right out from under him.”

The community’s reality

Josoma said the display’s purpose is to move “beyond static traditional figures and evoke emotion and dialogue” in response to the fear many parishioners face as federal forces arrest more than undocumented immigrants, sweeping up longtime legal residents and spreading anxiety.

In Illinois, the detention campaign has left bystanders choking on chemical sprays and children traumatized at the site of neighbors and teachers being taken away, prompting state and local investigations.

“We wanted to reflect sort of the reality that our community is experiencing,” Jillian Westerfield, associate minister at the United Methodist church in Evanston.

After the figure of Joseph blew down and was damaged, leaving Mary alone with the baby, they put up an explanatory sign: “Joseph didn’t make it. We hold this spaced to honor and remember all the victims of immigration enforcement terror.”

Critics either don’t fully understand the message or “find it really challenging to their conscience and are lashing out at the art rather than engaging with what the actual message is,” Westerfield said.

‘Not a stunt’

Phil Mandeville, who sits on St. Susanna’s Parish Council and coordinates a multi-church refugee support committee, said long-standing relationships make the parish resolute about keeping the display.

The committee has worked with about ten refugee families since 2019, helping them find housing, enroll in school, learn English and secure work. Much of the effort is done in partnership with the federal government, which puts families through extensive vetting before they arrive, he said.

“Just to emphasize the reason for all of this — it’s not a stunt,” Mandeville said. “We work on a daily basis with refugees. But people get upset about a bit of plaster. I care more about individuals than I do a manger scene. I understand what it represents — I don’t understand why no one cares about these human beings.”

“Look at the Gospel just before Christ was executed — that was political,” he added. “We were always taught: when you’re unsure how to act, ask, ‘What would Christ do?’ Now we’re doing that, and it doesn’t seem to jibe.”

Divided reaction

The controversy in Evanston drew volunteers from a nearby synagogue, who stood outside during Lake Street’s services to help worshipers feel safe. Reactions outside the Dedham church ranged widely.

Walter Niland snapped a selfie and said he disagreed with the display. “I believe that the church enjoys a tax-exempt status,” said Niland, a Catholic from a neighboring town. “We should speak to spiritual matters, not matters of political division.”

Others came to challenge the parish directly — including one man who livestreamed his attempt to pull on locked church doors.

Steve Grieger, a former Catholic school teacher, drove an hour from Worcester to show his support.

“The Archdiocese says, ‘Oh no, that goes against our tradition.’ Well, we’re living in times that are totally abnormal. We can’t just proceed as normal,” Grieger said. “If we’re following the scriptures of Jesus, then we have to recognize that these ICE raids, and all of these terrible things going on, are totally against that.”

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Bargfeld reported from Evanston.