RNS Morning Report - Faith and protest: How the hyperlocal resistance to Trump's immigration crackdown became national movement

Faith and Protest The resistance to the Trump administration's immigration policies, led by a broad coalition of mostly liberal clergy, was both national and hyperlocal, spontaneous yet supported by networks of activists who passed tactics, rhetoric and even songs from one city to the next. Not since the Civil Rights era have local faith leaders so publicly championed a social issue they regard as a spiritual one. The question is whether the resurgence of faith-based resistance can be sustained now that the crackdown has quieted. Will the coalitions built over the past months become permanent? Will the theology of protest embodied by demonstrators sway moderates in the pews? Read analysis of the faith-based protest from RNS national correspondents Jack Jenkins and Yonat Shimron. Top Stories Progressive faith leaders found new power in protesting ICE. Can their movement survive success? (RNS) — Not since the Civil Rights Era has the religious left so publicly and collaboratively protested in the name of a social question they regard as a spiritual one. Former SBC president Steve Gaines dies at 68 (RNS)— Gaines, known for his commitment to evangelism, led one of the SBC's largest churches for nearly two decades. Denver’s Catholic archdiocese, famously conservative, enters the Leo era (RNS) — Archbishop-designate James Golka, bishop of Colorado Springs since 2021, has the potential to unify Denver's 600,000 Catholics. Judge grants Minneapolis clergy access to detainees in ICE holding facility (RNS) — 'This is one important step in our struggle for justice and my call to live out Jesus’s command to care for the captives,' said the Rev. Susie Hayward, who is cited in the legal case and was in court for the ruling.   Opinion A dehumanizing immigration policy requires a robust theology of protest (RNS) — Religious leaders cannot only improvise acts of resistance against authoritarianism. Braiding together our sacred union, from Roger Williams to Minneapolis (RNS) — How the pursuit of religious liberty, from Muhammad to American dissenting clergy, underlies the United States’ promise of freedom. ICYMI Shuttered stores, canceled pilgrimages: Can Bethlehem’s Christians survive another Easter? (RNS) — The Iran war could be the final blow to Bethlehem’s tourism industry — and to the already-dwindling Christian population as well. It survived Bush, Obama, Biden. How Trump remade the White House Faith Office (RNS) — ‘It’s unusual for a president to continue a signature White House office of his predecessor of a different political party,’ said Melissa Rogers, twice director of the White House faith-based office. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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