All Eyes on Minneapolis—​ICE Agents & Residents Clash Across the City

Stock photo from Wix - Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline

A cold winter day in South Minneapolis serves as the latest flashpoint in a national struggle over law enforcement, borders, protection, and partisan politics. The images are now fixed in the public consciousness: Alex Pretti intervening in an ICE operation, protesters filming, and gunshots ringing out. This event does not occur in a vacuum. It follows the recent death of Renee Good, where an angry crowd, a maroon Honda Pilot, and a fatal round of gunfire amid screams remain seared into the collective memory. As the news cycle spins, opinions and speculation become narrative. However, for the believer, these events demand an evaluation through a lens that is neither partisan nor reactionary, but strictly Biblical.

In this current climate, it is imperative to recognize that public figures and journalists often report on fast-moving events based on information provided by staff. Whether the reports come from President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, or local officials like Mayor Jacob Frey, these individuals communicate narratives and briefings they receive rather than relaying firsthand accounts. Maintaining objectivity is essential to avoid confirmation bias. This requires approaching facts with the same level of scrutiny one applies if the roles were reversed. Relying on a balanced perspective prevents a situation from being reduced to a single preferred narrative and encourages a more nuanced understanding of the complexities inherent in law enforcement encounters.

The Divine Institution of the Civil Magistrate

The Bible establishes that the State is not a human invention but a divine ordinance. According to Romans 13:1, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." The civil magistrate is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:4). This authority is delegated for the specific purpose of maintaining order and punishing evil. In the context of immigration and national borders, the State possesses a clear jurisdiction. Scripture does not command borderless nations. Instead, it affirms the necessity of law to restrain the effects of the Fall.

When federal agents engage in a targeted operation, they act within the sphere of authority ordained by God to preserve civic order. A society that ignores minor violations or allows its borders to be bypassed eventually loses the capacity to enforce major laws. From a law enforcement level, the magnitude of a crime does not change the nature of the rebellion against order. Therefore, the enforcement of immigration statutes is a matter of civil obedience. The magistrate does not bear the sword in vain. The Christian’s primary response to the State is one of subjection, recognizing that the rule of law is a manifestation of common grace that protects all citizens. As 1 Peter 2:13-14 states, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good."

The Principle of National Preservation

Critics of current federal tactics often point to procedural inconsistencies or instances of overreach. However, the concept of national preservation suggests that a strict adherence to every detail of written law must not result in the destruction of the nation itself. Thomas Jefferson addressed this in 1810, writing:

A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means.

In 2026, the administration views the current border situation as a crisis of national survival. While a citizen must remain vigilant against actual tyranny, it is necessary to consider whether the State is operating under this Jeffersonian principle of necessity. If the government perceives an existential threat to the stability of the Republic, its actions are directed toward the restoration of a lawful society. To lose the country by refusing to act against chaos is to lose the law itself. This administration operates under the belief that fixing a broken system requires a period of "extreme pain" to secure long-term stability and economic growth.

Distinguishing Between Individual Mercy and Civic Order

A frequent point of confusion in the current discourse involves the blurring of the Church’s mission with the State’s duty. The opposing view suggests that because Jesus ate with sinners and the Apostles practiced civil disobedience, the State should exercise a form of universal mercy that ignores legal status. This perspective is flawed because it ignores the three distinct spheres of authority: the Church, the Family, and the State. Each has a specific jurisdiction, and none is subsumed under the other.

The individual Christian has a duty of mercy. If a neighbor is in the country illegally, the believer’s priority is the Gospel and hospitality. This is a spiritual mandate focused on the soul. The believer sees the neighbor as an image-bearer to be invited to dinner and shared the hope of Christ. However, the citizen also has a civic responsibility to support the State’s duty to enforce its statutes. Supporting a stable society is a tangible way to love the broader community. The State is not called to be a minister of the Gospel; it is called to be a minister of justice. One can provide for a person’s spiritual needs while simultaneously acknowledging that their presence in violation of law is a rebellion against the order God has established.

The opposing view points to the Apostles' refusal to stop preaching (Acts 5:29) or Peter’s escape from jail (Acts 12) as justification for general law-breaking. However, the Apostles disobeyed because they had a direct command from God to share the Gospel. There is no command from God that requires people to enter another country in violation of that nation's laws. Since entering a country illegally is not a requirement for the faith, the Christian remains in subjection to those laws.

Addressing the Charges of Racial Profiling

The opposing view contends that current enforcement actions are rooted in racial profiling or a desire to establish a white-supremacist nation. This charge relies on rhetorical hyperbole rather than empirical evidence. In the realm of law enforcement, visual descriptors are mandatory and indispensable tools for identification. What appears as profiling to a casual onlooker is often a standard investigation based on specific leads or descriptions of suspects, such as "Hispanic male, age 40."

Furthermore, applying the label of "white supremacy" to standard immigration enforcement is a form of linguistic injustice. It diminishes the severity of the term and ignores the fact that a secure border is a standard policy for any sovereign nation. Using such a label for standard policy does a disservice to the victims of real racism and causes the label to lose its power. While bad actors may exist within any system, there is no factual basis to conclude that the current administration as a whole is attempting to create a racial state. The media intentionally blurs the lines between legal and illegal status so it looks like the government is attacking all immigrants, when the reality is that they are targeting those who bypassed the law. Many incidents of alleged "unjust force" are actually the "remediation of obstruction" by individuals who interfere with law enforcement duties. Driving down a closed street or sticking one's nose into a police officer's job leads to attention and arrest.

The Dangers of Syncretism and Carte Blanche Support

While the Christian supports the State’s role in maintaining order, this is not a grant of "carte blanche" support to any leader or party. Granting unconditional loyalty to a man or an agenda is how religious and political cults are formed. The believer evaluates actions as "hits" or "misses" based on the Word of God. A vote is not worship; it is a stewardship of the civil sphere in a fallen world. For many, a vote for the current administration is a pragmatic choice to restrain greater evils, such as the "pro-death culture" of abortion.

There is a rejection of Christian Nationalism and Reconstructionism because the concept of a modern earthly theocracy is not found in the New Testament. Likewise, there is a firm opposition to Dominionism and the "7-mountain" mandate, viewing them as forms of syncretism, a mixing of Christ’s spiritual kingdom with the love of worldly power. The exclusive nature of Biblical Christianity often creates a "conflict of interest" in politics. A successful political career in a pluralistic society frequently necessitates a compromise of faith that is unacceptable. The primary calling is to be "Christ-focused," functioning as the "conscience of the nation" through the preaching of the Gospel.

The Limits of Submission and the Necessity of Truth

Scripture provides a clear limit to the State’s authority. As noted in Acts 5:29, "We must obey God rather than men." If the State’s sword is misused to intentionally destroy the innocent, the Christian’s higher loyalty to the Kingdom of God prevails. This is seen in the example of the Hebrew midwives who defied Pharaoh (Exodus 1). When man’s law demands an "extreme inversion of justice" and requires a violation of the "weightier matters of the law" (Matthew 23:23), defiance is a duty.
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However, currently, there is no evidence that the administration is intentionally targeting the innocent. Therefore, the duty of the believer is to lead a "quiet and peaceable life" (1 Timothy 2:2) while upholding Christ’s claims. The current situation in Minneapolis requires a refusal to join political bandwagons. The political right may cry "treason" while the left shouts "Gestapo," yet both sides often ignore the complexities of the situation to serve a preferred narrative. It is exhausting to listen to an incessant news cycle that refuses to wait for an investigation, instead using a single incident to wield a specific narrative.

Common Grace and the Savior of All Men

The Christian must maintain a theological framework of common grace. When a non-Christian parent loves their child or an official seeks order, we witness the glory of God through common grace. God reveals Himself as a "Savior" in more than one sense. While He is the eternal Savior only to those who believe, 1 Timothy 4:10 says He is the "Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." This implies a temporal, preserving salvation, a divine forbearance that offers mercy and forestalls immediate judgment.

If we do not believe God is favorably disposed toward the lost in a benevolent sense, we lose the heart to invite them to Christ or treat them with the "gentleness and respect" commanded in 1 Peter 3:15. This benevolence extends to the civil sphere. We pray for leaders, good or bad, as commanded in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, so that the State has the wisdom to leave the church alone to do its job. When the state refrains from interfering with the church and the church can easily do its job of preaching the gospel, the whole society benefits.

Conclusion: A Consistent Biblical Worldview

The positions held here are not isolated political takes or "hot takes" grabbed from a news cycle. They are not a blind partisan allegiance that excuses the behavior of a man because of his party. Rather, these convictions are threads of a singular, consistent Biblical fabric anchored in the inerrant Word of God and the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ.

From the sanctity of life to the delegated role of the state, every conviction is deeply dependent on the others when considering the fabric of a Christian worldview. The goal is to remain Biblically consistent in every area of life, whatever the cost. The truth takes time, and relying on a balanced, Scriptural perspective prevents the reduction of complex human encounters into simple, preferred narratives. We wait for the facts, we pray for our leaders, and we hold fast to the exclusivity of Christ.