Charlotte church depicts ICE arresting Holy Family in Trump-era nativity scene

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Charlotte church depicts ICE arresting Holy Family in Trump-era nativity scene

Charlotte pastor says goal is to 'disturb' viewers and highlight immigrant families' fears

Joshua Q. Nelson Fox News

Published

December 11, 2025 3:57pm EST

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A church in Charlotte, North Carolina, reportedly sought to "disturb passersby" this Christmas with a nativity scene that depicts Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with "masked immigration agents wearing bulletproof vests and brandishing handcuffs."

According to the Charlotte Observer, Missiongathering Church criticized immigration enforcement as the church pastor’s goal was to "force viewers to confront the fear many immigrant families in Charlotte felt following recent immigration arrests in the city."

The installation displays the biblical account of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem with figures dressed as ICE agents added to the scene. Rev. Andrew Shipley told the paper that the depiction mirrors what immigrant families are experiencing today.

He said the church had been helping people who were "afraid" after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection landed in the city.

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Missiongathering Church based in Charlotte, North Carolina

According to the Charlotte Observer, Missiongathering Church criticized immigration enforcement as the church pastor’s goal is to "force viewers to confront the fear many immigrant families in Charlotte felt following recent immigration arrests in the city." (Google Maps)

"The goal is to disturb, to make people feel something," Shipley said. "What’s been happening to Charlotte families … is disturbing and is graphic and horrifying."

The installation was reportedly created by an artist group called TaskForce, which has been involved in similar installations across the country.

The group reportedly contacted the church by phone and email with the idea, enlisting local artists to build the display.

"The goal is to translate the Christmas story into a modern context," Shipley told the Observer. "If the Holy Family had been in Charlotte two weeks ago, they would have been putting the baby Jesus in handcuffs because he wouldn’t have his papers."

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Nativity scene fresco in Saint Joseph des Nations church

Other churches around the country have also used Nativity scenes to criticize ICE and highlight immigration issues. (Fred de Noyelle via Getty Images)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased arrests since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Missiongathering Church and U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased arrests since President Donald Trump was elected. (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement via X)

Other churches around the country have also used Nativity scenes to criticize ICE and highlight immigration issues.

A similar reinterpretation of the nativity scene appeared at Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois, depicting baby Jesus with his hands zip-tied and guarded by figures styled as ICE agents.

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A similar nativity scene at a Massachusetts church prompted calls for removal from the acting ICE director and the Archdiocese of Boston.

Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.

Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation's Young Leaders Program.

Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Charlotte church depicts ICE arresting Holy Family in Trump-era nativity scene