In a move that sparked controversy across political lines, officials from the Trump administration publicly criticized Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara for drawing a comparison between the Nativity narrative and recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city.
At a press briefing held with Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday, O’Hara described the current period as “very, very difficult” for local communities due to the presence of ICE officers. He likened the situation to the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph heading to Bethlehem for the first Christmas.
It’s especially personal to me, having been raised a Catholic, to be in a Christian church this morning as we are approaching Christmas,” O’Hara told reporters. “And I cannot help but think of what is happening in our city today and how that echoes with how outsiders have been treated for thousands of years.
How Mary and Joseph themselves were considered outsiders and forced to stay in a barn. That’s what we’re getting ready to commemorate as Christians around the world while all of this fear is happening in our town,” he added.
The remarks were met with sharp backlash online, particularly from conservatives and staffers tied to the Trump administration.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller took to X to say that police chiefs in many major cities often refer to “our community” in a way that marginalizes those suspected of illegal residency.
Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the chief’s conduct “abhorrent and humiliating,” accusing him of failing to do his job and permitting “pedophiles and rapists” to terrorize Minneapolis.
McLaughlin further exposed four immigrants arrested in recent days, listing their criminal histories in the same tweet. She praised Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Frey for their support of ICE.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson condemned O’Hara’s comparison as “unconscionable,” cautioning that no law‑enforcing officer should equate criminal immigrants with the Son of God or make “absurd comparisons” while allowing “dangerous” individuals to harass communities.
Women’s rights activist Riley Gaines reacted on X with, “Mary and Joseph weren’t illegally in Bethlehem. Hope this helps!” She echoed her sentiment in a subsequent post. Former NFL athlete Benjamin Watson also weighed in, arguing that “We have to stop using Mary, Joseph and Jesus as pawns in a culture war.
Let scripture stand on its own merits without manipulating it to fit an unrelated modern narrative. Problem is most of us don’t read the text.” Conservative radio host Jesse Kelly offered a warning: “Never let the communist use your values against you. He hates you. He hates your values. They’re just tools to him. Tools he can use for the revolution.”
A senior editor at The Federalist, John Daniel Davidson, critiqued what he described as a “saccharine, brain‑dead take” on Christian charity, noting that “Raised Catholic” is often used as code for “long ago rejected Catholicism without real knowledge.” He suggested that this kind of sentiment is a familiar mantra among bishops.
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