“The Trump administration is conducting reckless brutality against the people of Minnesota.”
— Craig Loya, Bishop of Minnesota, stated in late January, after agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed two U.S. Citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, in Minnesota. The Episcopal Church bishop said in his address that those spreading falsehoods about the actions of the ICE agents were peddling “cartoonish lies” and echoing “the messages of the most cynical propaganda machine in the history of mankind.”
The bishop called on churches to pressure the U.S. Senate to cut funding to ICE and demand the agency leave Minnesota. He explained that churches had built a solidarity network for immigrant residents and sought to protect them from what he described as a real danger – ICE agents.
The shooting of Alex Pretti, who worked as a nurse, came a day after Episcopal leaders in the United States jointly called for an end to immigration raids, with hundreds of clergy eventually joining the movement. The World Council of Churches, representing nearly 400 million Christians, also aligned with the smaller denomination, issuing a statement expressing deep concern over the escalating violence.
The Roman Catholic Church also responded to the actions of ICE agents, with Pope Leo, of American origin, repeatedly and unequivocally criticizing the U.S. Government’s treatment of immigrants. Following the Pope’s remarks and the release of brutal images of ICE agents, American bishops also condemned the incidents. This growing tension comes as President Trump’s base, which previously relied on support from roughly one-fifth of the U.S. Adult population identifying as Catholic, has found itself at odds with the Catholic Church due to the administration’s policies, according to reports.
The Church Speaks Out
Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, a church originating from the ancient Virginia elite, spoke after Pretti’s shooting about the danger facing Christian faith in the United States, stating, “We no longer live in a time when You can practice our faith without risk.” He argued that the right to religious freedom was being limited by the fear preventing many immigrant Christians from leaving their homes, even to attend church, due to aggression from ICE agents.
“Peaceful protest, which is a fundamental constitutional right, has become deadly,” Rowe said after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot by border patrol agents on January 24, after being taken to the ground. Federal authorities claimed Pretti had approached the agents with a weapon, intending to attack them. Footage of the incident, however, and statements from two witnesses, appeared to contradict that explanation.
The footage shows Pretti, with a cell phone in his hand, rushing to the aid of a protester who was being pushed and pepper-sprayed by federal agents. He was then pepper-sprayed himself, and multiple agents tackled and restrained him. One border patrol agent then drew a weapon from Pretti’s waistband and stepped back. Another agent then drew his weapon and shot Pretti. A third agent also opened fire on the man already on the ground. At least ten shots were fired, according to the videos.
Protests erupted in Minnesota following the ICE actions, intensifying after an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman on January 7. Renée Nicole Good, authorities said, intentionally drove toward ICE agents and attempted to kill them. However, accounts from witnesses and videos of the incident suggest she was simply trying to drive away when the agent fired upon her. The escalating violence has drawn international attention to the tactics employed by U.S. Immigration enforcement.
Pretti’s death sparked widespread outrage in the United States and around the world, prompting a response from the White House. Greg Bovino, who had become the face of Trump’s mass deportation efforts, was removed from Minneapolis and reassigned to his original post in California. The official who oversaw deportations under Trump was demoted from “commander-in-chief” to a commander responsible for only a small district. Tom Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced last week that 700 federal immigration agents would be withdrawn from Minnesota, though approximately 2,000 would remain in the state.
Following the ICE actions, church leaders from the Episcopalian to the Roman Catholic Church issued statements. Vatican News reported that the video footage showed Pretti was not holding a weapon and emphasized the Church’s advocacy for peace over aggression. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, agreed with Pope Leo, writing that peace was endangered because it was based on respect for people. Coakley, on behalf of the USCCB, wrote that the ICE actions were an example of violence where “the dignity of human life is not respected.”
Following the USCCB’s call, nearly 300 Catholic leaders, including 15 bishops, asked Catholics to raise their voices against a bill being debated in Congress that includes funding for ICE. On January 31, the bishops wrote in a letter requesting that the government not fund ICE until it guarantees the protection of immigrants and finds alternatives to detention practices. The ICE funding question is a weak point in the budget proposal being discussed by Republicans and Democrats, and has also prompted protests from thousands of students, according to reports.
Craig Loya, Bishop of Minnesota, speaks at a peaceful protest in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 9, 2026, commemorating Renée Good, who was killed by an ICE agent – Photo: Annalise Kaylor / NurPhoto / Getty Images / AFP
A Shift After Twelve Years
In the United States, the USCCB’s statement marked a significant shift after twelve years without issuing a “special message” – a formal communication addressing a pressing issue. Pope Leo called the statement crucial, urging all Catholics to heed its message. “We must find ways to treat people with humanity and dignity, as they deserve,” he said in Castel Gandolfo in November, responding to a reporter’s question. The Pope previously criticized U.S. Immigration policy in September, and in October questioned whether Trump’s policies were consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church. “Whoever says they are anti-abortion but agrees with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t realize if they can be called pro-life,” he stated. The relationship was further strained by the American bishops and Pope Leo’s comments on Trump’s approach to Greenland and Venezuela. The Pope also openly criticized Trump’s relationship with Europe and with the UN.
In a joint statement released at the end of January, three Catholic cardinals – representing Chicago, Washington, and New Jersey – sharply criticized Trump’s policies, further widening the divide between the president and American bishops. Timothy P. Broglio, the archbishop for military services of the USCCB, even stated that it would be “morally acceptable” for soldiers to disobey orders they found objectionable.
The USCCB’s statement was described by Pope Leo as a very important document, urging all Catholics to listen to it. “We must seek ways to treat people with humanity and dignity, as they deserve,” he said in Castel Gandolfo in November. In an interview with Politico in December, Trump quickly dismissed the Pope’s statements, saying he hadn’t seen any statements from the pontiff but believed he was “a nice man.” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration rejects the claim that the U.S. Government is treating undocumented immigrants inhumanely. The unfolding events raise questions about the future of the relationship between the American president and the Catholic Church, and how leaders in other countries, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has positioned himself as an ally of both Trump and the Vatican, will respond as the rift deepens. We have reached out to the Hungarian government for comment and will report back if we receive a response.
