Public Statement from the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus

Re: ICE Actions and the Harm to Black and Brown Communities
February 1, 2026

The Greater Atlanta Chapter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus grieves and condemns the ongoing acts of violence, terror, and dehumanization inflicted upon Black and Brown communities through the policies and practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during this presidential administration.

We are witnessing deaths in custody, families torn apart through sudden detentions, and individuals taken from their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods without due process or humane treatment. These actions are not isolated incidents. They are part of a system that treats Black and Brown bodies as disposable, criminal, and expendable.

We name the dead because their lives mattered.

We remember Alex Pretti, Keith Porter, and Renee Nicole Good, who died during encounters with ICE agents. We also mourn the 32 individuals who, according to reports, died in ICE custody in 2025 alone. These were not statistics. They were human beings—mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, neighbors—created in the image of God.

A Moral and Spiritual Crisis

As people of faith, we reject the lie that safety can be built on suffering.

As Black Presbyterians, we recognize these tactics because we have lived them: through slave patrols, Jim Crow policing, mass incarceration, and racialized surveillance. History teaches us that when the law is used to terrorize instead of protect, it has lost its moral authority.

Scripture is clear:

• “Do not oppress the foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners.” (Leviticus 19:34)
• “Woe to those who make unjust laws.” (Isaiah 10:1)
• “Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor.” (Zechariah 7:10)

The current treatment of immigrants, particularly those who are Black and Brown, stands in direct opposition to the will of God and the values of human dignity. We refuse to remain silent while our siblings are detained, disappeared, and buried without accountability.

This is not merely a political crisis.
It is a moral crisis.
It is a spiritual crisis.

Our Call to Action

We call upon faith communities, elected officials, and all people of conscience to act:

1. Demand accountability for all deaths and abuses connected to ICE operations.
2. Support policies that protect due process, end racial profiling, and limit detention as a tool of immigration enforcement.
3. Advocate locally and nationally by contacting representatives and demanding humane immigration reform.
4. Partner with immigrant justice organizations by providing legal aid, accompaniment, and rapid response.
5. Open our churches as spaces of sanctuary, education, and resistance to fear-based policies.
6. Pray — and then move our feet, because faith without action is empty.

A Declaration of Solidarity

We affirm that immigrants are not threats.

They are children of God.
They are workers.
They are parents.
They are neighbors.

The Greater Atlanta Chapter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus stands in solidarity with all who are targeted by unjust systems. We pledge to continue speaking, organizing, and bearing witness until dignity replaces detention and justice replaces fear.

Signed,
Greater Atlanta Chapter
National Black Presbyterian Caucus

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is this statement about?

This public statement condemns ICE actions that have resulted in deaths, detention, and harm to Black and Brown communities, framing the issue as both moral and spiritual.

What actions are being requested?

The chapter calls for accountability, immigration reform, partnership with justice organizations, and churches serving as spaces of sanctuary and advocacy.

Why does the statement reference Scripture?

The statement grounds its argument in biblical teachings that oppose oppression and unjust laws, reinforcing that immigration justice is a matter of faith.