I watched ICE arrest my fellow pastors.
Rev. Edwards is the pastor of Kingswood United Methodist Church’s Deerfield campus outside of Chicago. He has attended the protests at ICE’s Broadview detention center to provide pastoral support, and bear witness in his capacity as a faith leader. He’s been horrified what he’s seen there.
He’s watched as his friends and fellow clergy members, like Rev. Hannah Kardon, were manhandled and arrested by ICE agents, despite protesting peacefully. Along with more than 200 other faith leaders, he signed a letter stating that “Jesus is being tear gassed at Broadview,” and he plans to keep going back.
Scripture and the teachings of Jesus are abundantly clear, says Rev. Edwards: Love thy neighbor, welcome the stranger, do good to those who despitefully use you. Everything he’s seen from the Trump administration’s ICE agents go against every one of these tenets, and that’s why he feels the need to speak out.