One of the largest Black Christian denominations is openly opposing the recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Today, we call Renee Good's name as just another name to be added to this growing list of casualties that are a result of this war on our cities by this current administration through ICE,” said Larry Lovett, the vice chair of the Social Justice Commission of the National Baptist Convention USA.
Church leaders are calling for a nationwide ban on face coverings for law enforcement.
Denomination president Rev. Boise Kimber, senior pastor at First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven, said they want something banning ICE agents from obscuring their physical identity — similar to California’s Proposition 627, or “No Secret Police Act.”
“You must do more than what is going on now,” Kimber told pastors at the denomination’s annual mid-winter gathering. “Innocent people are being killed, people who are law-abiding citizens here in America, who have their passport, who have gone through everything to become a citizen, are being deported.”
He connected the experience of Black Americans to those of immigrants across the U.S.
“What is happening in America today happened some 60 years ago, when we were acquainted with the Ku Klux Klan,” Kimber said. “ICE reminds us of the Ku Klux Klan with their facial identity of covering their face.”
Kimber encouraged church leaders to head home from this week’s conference and tell local leaders: “We no longer will support you if you do not come out with legislation, saying to your mayor, saying to your chief, saying to this state legislator and governor, take the mask off.”
The National Baptist Convention’s gathering ends Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida.
