Trump Praises Jesus, Then Attacks Immigrants and the People Defending Them

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, he has repeatedly touted his purported “Christian” vision for the nation. After dropping bombs on Iran, he proclaimed, “I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God…” Weeks earlier, he professed, “My Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government.”

In the meantime, President Trump has launched a relentless, unprecedented crusade against the nation’s immigrants. At his beckoning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have snatched mothers and fathers off the streets—leaving children parentless. They’ve captured students who dared to speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. They’ve weaponized government resources to surveil immigrants and create a constant state of fear.

And then, President Trump decided to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles to stop overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators who dared stand up for these vulnerable communities.

This is the core of the Trump administration: Praise the name of Jesus, and then villainize, demean, and harm vulnerable immigrant communities. And next—unleash tools of war on the people who protect them.

It’s unfathomable that the president decided to use tools of war to block people of faith and conscience from standing up for immigrants—even though Jesus would have surely marched alongside the protesters.

We are not sure what Bible President Trump is reading. But it bears no resemblance to the sacred text we have studied and loved for our entire lives.

The Bible leaves much to interpretation. But for immigrants, it couldn’t be clearer. Leviticus 19:33-34 explicitly states: "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 says: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 27:19 then states, “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.”

And then, in the New Testament, Jesus not only stands up for immigrants and strangers, he stands with them. And he instructed his followers to do the same, even in the face of oppressive forces.

And beyond all these explicit examples, the Bible also consistently tells us to care for the vulnerable and love our fellow humans. People deserve compassion, care, and acceptance simply because they are creatures made in God’s image—not based on arbitrary borders.

For centuries, faith leaders have heeded this call. They have long been on the frontlines of efforts to welcome immigrants to the United States.

In the 1800s for example, faith leaders played an instrumental role in connecting immigrants arriving at Ellis Island with food, clothing, and other local resources. Also at that time, the school we lead, Union Theological Seminary, helped start one of the largest settlement houses.

And for decades, houses of worship have served as places of sanctuary for immigrant communities. Today, many people of faith—from all different traditions—are still committed to uplifting immigrants. When far-right leaders from border states started sending busloads of immigrants to other parts of the country, many faith organizations provided resources to support them. And earlier this year at Union Theological Seminary, we hosted about 200 faith leaders for a “Know Your Rights” event and provided them with practical resources to protect migrant communities.

Rather than following the clear guidance from the Bible to support immigrants, President Trump is attempting to claim the moral high ground by painting them as villains.

That’s reprehensible. Immigrants are human, and like all humans, they contribute in innumerable ways. They raise families, they work, and they participate in the community. And immigrants make enormous sacrifices just to gain a semblance of acceptance. For example, undocumented immigrants contribute billions in Social Security taxes each year. But they’ll never see these benefits because they’re not eligible for the program.

It’s unfathomable that the president decided to use tools of war to block people of faith and conscience from standing up for immigrants—even though Jesus would have surely marched alongside the protesters. If the president is willing to go this far, there’s no telling how else he will try to silence Americans’ right to advocate for what’s right.

As President Trump continues to round up immigrants and target those who defend them, he will undoubtedly continue to espouse his Christian values. But don’t be fooled. His actions are the exact opposite of Jesus’ teachings.