Regional clergy ‘deeply ‘grieved’ by ICE actions

Episcopal clergy speak out against ‘state-sanctioned violence’ | OPINION

Cape Cod Times
Feb. 15, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET

We are a group of clergy serving the Episcopal Church in communities in Plymouth, Wareham, the Cape and Islands. The blatant misuse of power and state-sanctioned violence in our country, which compromises the safety, well-being, and dignity of so many people, has prompted us to speak out as agents of deep hope and God’s love. Our commitment to the teachings and witness of Jesus Christ compels us to share his message of non-violence and compassion for all people of the world. 

We are deeply grieved by the violence of recent events in Minneapolis and the casual disregard for human lives and human suffering that has accompanied it. We speak out on behalf of God’s church against physical, emotional, and spiritual violence which robs people of dignity and worth, because Jesus always acted from a stance of loving non-violence, and continues to call us again and again to care for all human beings. 

As followers of Jesus, we are called to respond to cruelty with compassion, to violence with peace, and to hatred with love. We commit ourselves to nonviolent witness—speaking truthfully, standing publicly with those who are harmed, and challenging injustice without surrendering to fear or hatred. We also believe that honoring those who have suffered violence means remembering their names and telling their stories. When lives are reduced to statistics or passing news cycles, dignity is lost once again. To remember is an act of faith, and to bear witness is an act of love. 

Thirty-two people died in ICE custody during 2025. As of the writing of this letter, we know of the following people who have died during detainment or encounters with ICE agents in the past four weeks: 

Geraldo Lunas
Campos Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres
Luis Beltrán Yanez-Cruz
Parady La
Victor Manuel Díaz
Heber Sánchez Domínguez
Keith Porter Jr.
Renee Good
Alex Pretti 

We offer these words from our commitment to the mission of God’s church, and to offer words of hope to those who hunger for them. We hope that you will join us in being non-violent witnesses of compassion, love, and justice for all God’s people, especially the most vulnerable among us. 

Faithfully, The Rev. Dan Bernier, the Rev. Peter Feltman-Mahan, the Rev. Natalie Finstad, the Rev. Elizabeth Grundy, The Rev. Michael Horvath, the Rev. Alan Hesse, the Rev. Melissa Powell, the Rev.Andrea Taylor and the Rev. Patrick Ward