GOD said, “What have you done! The voice of your sibling’s blood is calling to me from the ground.”
Gen. 4:10 (The Message)
January 28, 2026 — As we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and in the example of the life and legacy of such leaders as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, Archbishop Romero, Sitting Bull, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we, the leadership of the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group and our Ethnic Plans, speak out with urgency and moral clarity against the sins of violence, militarization, and systematic dehumanization that have been used since this nation’s inception as tools of empire against our Black, Brown, and Indigenous siblings—and now at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol under the direction of the current administration.
Across the country and along our borders, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant communities are experiencing heightened fear as federal immigration agencies employ tactics more akin to military operations than to civilian law enforcement. Armed raids, aggressive surveillance, racial profiling, family separations, and the use of force against unarmed individuals—resulting in grave physical harm and death—have become normalized practices. These actions tear families apart, traumatize children, and treat human beings as disposable rather than deserving dignity and due process.
We are deeply troubled by the way many of our congregants and community members continue to be criminalized and terrorized to the point where the simple act of attending a church worship service, Bible study, or event can potentially lead to detention and even death. This is a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment of this country’s Constitution and
the supreme law of our Creator, who redeemed us through Jesus Christ, who came “so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Equally alarming is the targeting and intimidation of those who raise their voices to protect immigrants—faith leaders, legal advocates, humanitarian workers, journalists, and community organizers. When ICE and Border Patrol are used as instruments to silence dissent, suppress public witness, or criminalize acts of compassion and accompaniment, the damage extends far beyond immigrant communities. It strikes at the heart of our democratic values, including freedom of speech, religious liberty, and the right to resist injustice peacefully.
We reject the false narrative that equates migration with criminality or condemns compassion as a threat to national security. Immigrants are not enemies. They are our neighbors, congregants, coworkers, and loved ones. They contribute to the social, cultural, and economic life of this nation, and they deserve safety, respect, and the complete protection of the law.
The ongoing militarization of immigration enforcement is a moral failure. It perpetuates harm, deepens racialized violence, and erodes public trust. We call on the administration to immediately end abusive enforcement practices, halt the use of militarized force by ICE and Border Patrol, and ensure accountability for violations of human rights and civil liberties.
We also reaffirm our commitment to stand with those who courageously speak out and act in solidarity with immigrant communities. We will not be intimidated into silence. We will continue to accompany, advocate, and bear public witness until policies rooted in fear are replaced with systems grounded in justice, compassion, and human dignity.
Our faith, our conscience, and our shared humanity compel us to speak: violence and dehumanization have no place in a society that claims to value justice and life.
We offer this prayer for our collective work ahead
A Tribal Prayer for Our Work Before Us
O Giver of Breath, Keeper of All Stories, Listen to the cry within our stories.
We come with hearts heavy, words falling silent before the Sacred.
Tears fall from our eyes before we know their names, watering the earth beneath us.
We lift our voices from the dust, from the place where our strength falters—From the ache of waiting, from the wound that loss carves in our spirits, From the places where hope is a distant star, barely seen.
How long, O Maker of All Things?
How long will those who are broken carry sorrow with no one to walk beside them? How long will the doors of welcome remain closed?
Families separated, Dreams set aside,
And the weary asked to walk in silence, carrying burdens unseen.
Remember us, O Keeper of Living Stories. Remember the stranger, the orphan,
The one who wanders, the one who waits by the fire for a name to be spoken, The one whose name is whispered only in Your breath.
Do not turn away from those who knock with trembling hands, seeking a place at the Circle.
We lay down our fear before You. We lay down our anger.
We confess that sometimes our faith is a whisper, Carried away by the storm.
Yet even now, we bring what we have to the Sacred Fire:
A heart cracked open, an honest cry, a hope that will not be buried.
Break open our hearts, O Giver of Life—Not to shatter us,
But to make space for compassion to take root.
Let our tears soften the ground within us, where hardness has taken hold. Let our grief be the teacher that shows us how to love fiercely,
To see one another with the eyes of the Ancestors.
Breathe into us, O Breath of Life, as You breathed into the First People. Could you gather what has been scattered to the four directions?
Heal what is wounded, mend what is torn.
Lift those bowed low beneath burdens not of their choosing.
And when the night stretches long without end, Be the dawn that calls us home.
When justice is a distant echo,
Be the promise that guides our steps.
When our strength to pray is gone,
Hold us in the silence where only Spirit speaks.
We place our broken hearts into Your hands, trusting the wisdom of the Ancestors, Knowing You are near to those whose spirits are crushed,
And that no tear is lost upon this Sacred Earth.
So may it be.
Deborah E. Bass
Chairperson
Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR)
Emma Escobar
President
Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa Hispano-Americana (MARCHA)
KiiKaay RagghiRain (Tsalagi Heritage) Chairwoman
Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus of The United Methodist Church
Rev. Scort Christy
Chairperson
New Federation of Asian America United Methodists
Rev. Tevita Koroi
Chairperson
Pacific Islanders National Caucus United Methodist (PINCUM)
Rev. Scort Christy
Chairperson
Asian American Language Ministry Plan
Rev. Tevita Koroi
Chairperson
Comprehensive Plan for Pacific Island United Methodism
Rev. Dr. Lydia E. Muñoz
Executive Director
El Plan for Hispanic Latino Ministry of the United Methodist Church
Rev. Paul H. Chang [Chang, Hak-Soon] 장 학순
Executive Director 사무총장
Korean Ministry Plan
Rev. Chebon Kernell (Seminole/Mvskoke) Executive Director
Native American Comprehensive Plan/The United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael L. Bowie, Jr. National Director Strengthening the Black Church
About the InterEthnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG)
The InterEthnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG) represents the five official racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church. The group exists to build solidarity among racial-ethnic minority groups in The United Methodist Church; to provide the vision and strategy for inter-ethnic cooperative efforts; to discuss, interact, and reach for ethnic concerns and consensus as a group for empowerment and ministry of all racial ethnic groups in the Church, to develop strategies for empowerment of racial/ethnic minority persons, to advocate for racial/ethnic staff in all levels of the Church structure, to strategize toward the renewal of The United Methodist Church in recognition of the gifts of racial/ethnic minority persons, and to advocate for justice ministries within the Church and the world. In addition to the caucuses, members include representatives from the ethnic comprehensive plans, general agency staff, the Connectional Table, and jurisdiction agencies.
Media Contact:
KiiKaay RagghiRain (Tsalagi Heritage)
Chairwoman
Native American Inter-Tribal Caucus of The United Methodist Church umciesdg@gmail.com