Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ by aggressively detaining a pastor.
In the video, taken on Christmas Eve in Lewiston, Maine, several agents in tactical gear can be seen arguing with a man in his car.
“Are you a US citizen?” – one of the agents asks the man.
The man, apparently black of African descent, tries to answer. – When you came…
“Stop talking!” – the officer shouts back.
“You asked me for my ID and I showed you my ID. I’m not the one you’re looking for, so how can that be?” – the man answered.
“Are you in this country illegally?”
“No, I’m not here illegally,” he replied, and the man filming vouched for him. This was not enough for the agents: they pulled the man out of the car to the ground and handcuffed him.
“He’s a pastor, he’s a pastor!” an eyewitness protests. “You are beating the pastor!”
“Not in this condition,” one of the agents replied, leading the man away.
While the Trump administration claims to care about the plight of Christians, ICE has particular disdain for clergy. In September they shot and killed Reverend David Black of Chicagosenior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, with a pepper ball to his face as he protested at the Broadview ICE building. And in August, a black pastor and Maine resident Michel Chimankinda spent two weeks in prison after being detained by ICE. He was later released and returned to his community. But for ICE to do this on Christmas Eve—especially under an administration that bills itself as pious—is especially cruel.
ICE forcibly detained a pastor on Christmas Eve even though he showed identification.
Agents said they needed to return him to the office and prove his legal status.
“He's a pastor! You are beating the pastor,” the witness shouts.
“He’s not a pastor in this country,” the agent jokes.
“God is judging you”… pic.twitter.com/lEhZ8NiHms
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) December 25, 2025
