Like many faith leaders in New Jersey’s houses of worship, Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale said he feels alarmed.
Like a beacon, his Highland Park church draws immigrants seeking shelter from persecution worldwide, and helps hundreds of them resettle around New Jersey. The Reformed Church of Highland Park had relied on a church’s special status as a sanctuary — like schools and hospitals — long considered off-limits to federal agents.
But President Donald Trump rescinded that policy this week.
“They’re doing a game, that is not our game. We’re interested in saying immigrants and refugees are a blessing — not a burden,” Kaper-Dale said. “We were not going to have physical sanctuary offered to immigrants in this church, even though we’ve done it many times in the past. And we’re actually a leader in that, nationally.”
In fact, during the first Trump administration, several Christian Indonesian refugees fled their New Jersey homes and moved into Kaper-Dale’s church, after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement suddenly started deporting members of their community during routine document checks. For months, the church served as a shield and a symbol. But now, he said the president’s new policy has led to the abrupt cancellation of permits for some 600 refugees expected by his ministry.
Homeland Security announced: “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.” New Jersey social media is also full with posts of the ICE Tip Line, urging “Report Illegal Aliens.”
The pastor said he fears for his staff. “I am less concerned about challenging government, than I am concerned about freewheeling people who seem like they want to take matters into their own hands,” he said. “They scare me more than the president does.”
Faith leaders are wrestling with the same dilemma at houses of worship across New Jersey and the nation. They’re mindful of their sacred duty to offer safe haven, but they’re also aware of a new extremism.
“The community is afraid, to a point where people are worried about going to work, they’re scared of sending their children to school, kids are afraid to go to school, because of the actions of the new administration,” says Courtney Madsen, regional director of Church World Services, another refugee settlement agency.
About 60 arrived before Trump shut down the program, leaving more than 130 refugees stranded. Advocates said these refugees are not criminals, and they’ve gone through extensive U.S. government background and medical checks.
With the resettlement program suspended, church sanctuary status revoked, and ICE raids expanded, Kaper-Dale said he will keep telling his own truth: a nation built by immigrants flourishes when they are welcome.
