Acting ICE director calls for ‘ICE was here’ Nativity be removed from Massachusetts church

Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons and the Archdiocese of Boston called Saturday for a Massachusetts church to remove its "ICE was here" sign from its Nativity display.

A Nativity scene at St. Susanna Parish in the Boston suburb of Dedham shows an empty manger, along with the sign and contact information for a group that monitors immigration enforcement in Massachusetts. 

The display was created by the church's peace and justice group, which the church's leader Rev. Stephen Josoma said is intended to see what it would be like "if Christ was born into the context of the world today," rather than over 2,000 years.

"The actions of the activist reverend, Stephen Josoma, are absolutely abhorrent and add to a dangerous narrative responsible for a more than 1,150% increase in assaults on ICE officers," Lyons told Fox News.  "Josoma has become infamous for using his pulpit to advance his activist agenda and has now caught the attention of the Archdiocese of Boston, which has publicly condemned his most recent political stunt. 

"On behalf of ICE and our many law enforcement professionals in Massachusetts — many of whom are practicing Catholics and first-generation Americans — I applaud the Catholic Church and the Archdiocese for taking a stand against such a dangerous and extremist narrative," he added.

The Boston Archdiocese told the outlet that the sign was "divisive political messaging," and should be removed.

"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," the Archdiocese said. 

The Archdiocese noted that the church did not get approval for the political message and that Catholic norms "prohibit" using sacred objects for any other purpose than, "the devotion of God's people." 

The display was not the first time that Josoma's church has used Nativity scenes for political messages. The church also reportedly placed the baby Jesus in a cage separate from his parents during the first Trump administration in 2018.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.