Opinion: Minnesota Conference denounces attacks against Somali neighbors

When President Donald Trump recently made derogatory comments about Somali immigrants and announced plans to target Minnesota’s Somali population of nearly 80,000 with increased immigration enforcement, local leaders in the Twin Cities stood firmly with the Somali people. Below, UCC Minnesota Conference Minister, the Rev. Tanya Sadagopan, shares how UCC leaders and churches in Minnesota are responding. Identifying details have not been included in an effort to protect the Somali people.

The Minnesota Conference UCC denounces the use of and threat to use federal agents – including ICE personnel – to harass, detain, attack, or malign our Somali neighbors, friends, ministry partners, and new residents.

The 35th General Synod of the UCC, in an emergency resolution passed this year, “Responding to the Federal Government’s Attack on Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees,” calls on us as the church to stand firm in our commitment to love our neighbors, welcome immigrants in our communities, and protect and advocate for them against this current threat from within. Further, we must have the courage to stand in our faith and our baptism to call this present evil what it is: domestic terrorism.

The Minnesota Conference’s ministry includes partnerships with Somali families and neighbors. Some of our local pastors and churches are taking action to protect our community from the arrival of federal agents in our Minnesota communities.

For example, one UCC pastor in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area grew up with Somali families and friends and knows that they are an integral part of Minnesota.

“Their religion, culture, food, and creativity make our city better,” they said. “They are as Minnesotan as any of us whose families immigrated generations ago.”

They shared with me one way their church is showing its courage: “Many Somali families are close friends with our congregation. We are mobilizing our members to provide a supportive presence in their building during this time of heightened anxiety. We want to make sure our friends know that they are not alone during this present threat.” 

In another UCC congregation in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, members are standing on their Christian faith to make sure that the community knows the church is there during their time of need.

Their pastors said they changed their sign to read “Love One Another Including Our Somali Neighbors.” 

They note that the congregation used proceeds from the sale of their building to build affordable housing, which is now largely settled by Somali residents.

“This last Sunday we passed out whistles to our congregation for those who feel courageous enough to announce ICE’s presence,” they said. “Three short blasts on the whistle mean that ICE is in the area, and three long blasts mean that ICE is apprehending someone. Last Sunday before worship we put on our albs and stoles and then our whistles. We want to model as ministers how to resist evil against our neighbors.”

Friends, while we know that many of us will not have the same opportunities as these brave clergy and churches to protect our Minnesotans of Somali heritage, I encourage you in ways that are appropriate to your ministry context to be true to Christ’s call to love our neighbor. 

Right now in Minnesota, it’s so cold, and the fact that people are willing to go out and protect their neighbors is so much what Christ would want us to do – standing in the breach to protect the most vulnerable from the cruelty of empire. That’s the Christ story.

For more information on our Somali neighbors, visit the Minnesota Council of Churches’ statement, “Somali people are part of Minnesota’s story.”

The Rev. Tanya Sadagopa serves as conference minister of the Minnesota Conference UCC.

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