Story perspectives

Churches Use Nativity Scenes to Ignite Immigration Debate

12/15/2025

Summary

Story summary

Across the United States, churches use Nativity scenes to comment on immigration, linking the Holy Family's flight to Egypt with asylum seekers, sparking support and backlash.
In Dedham, Massachusetts, St. Susanna Parish replaced Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with a sign reading "ICE Was Here," provoking criticism from the Archdiocese of Boston.
Missiongathering Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, shows ICE agents approaching the Holy Family to prompt reflection on immigration enforcement.

History

Historical Context

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, abolished national origin quotas, leading to over 300,000 annual immigrants by the 1970s. This shift marked a significant change in U.S. immigration policy, reflecting ongoing debates about asylum seekers today, as seen in church Nativity scenes that parallel the Holy Family's flight to Egypt with modern migration struggles.

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Story summary

Across the United States, churches use Nativity scenes to comment on immigration, linking the Holy Family's flight to Egypt with asylum seekers, sparking support and backlash.
In Dedham, Massachusetts, St. Susanna Parish replaced Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with a sign reading "ICE Was Here," provoking criticism from the Archdiocese of Boston.
Missiongathering Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, shows ICE agents approaching the Holy Family to prompt reflection on immigration enforcement.

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