Exclusive: ICE Detains Dozens of Faith Leaders Under Trump’s Crackdown
A mass deportation push swept up at least 65 religious figures, a Newsweek analysis found. "You become subhuman," one pastor said.
Dozens of faith leaders have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Trump's crackdown, according to Newsweek's investigation. Pastor Steven Tendo, a Pentecostal leader from Uganda, recounted how he was detained in Vermont for 16 days in February 2026 after ICE surrounded his car. He was among at least 65 religious figures detained since January 2025, with 30 released, 18 deported, and 14 still held.
The cases involved people with diverse immigration statuses, including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jews. Rabbi Sarah Bassin of HIAS condemned the detentions as a "profound moral breach" of the Trump administration's policies. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for a congressional investigation. The Department of Homeland Security stated that illegal presence in the U.S. is the sole criterion for targeting individuals for immigration enforcement.
However, several detainees challenged their deportations, citing legal issues or political beliefs. For instance, Rabbi Yehonatan Ovadia, an activist, faces deportation after being denied an extension to his R-1 religious-worker visa, allegedly due to a past protest.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
