MANCHESTER, NH — More than 40 faith leaders from across New Hampshire gathered Thursday afternoon at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Manchester, next to Manchester West High School, to speak with one prophetic, interfaith voice against the actions and tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Clergy representing Baptist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal, Muslim, Evangelical, and United Church of Christ traditions stood together to affirm human dignity, demand accountability, and reject the use of fear as public policy. Faith leaders traveled from communities across the state, including Hanover, Keene, Hampstead, Manchester, Peterborough, Durham, Laconia, Portsmouth, Salem, Nashua, Exeter, and Concord.
Throughout the gathering, songs and chants regularly broke out, echoing a shared message: “Love Over Fear.”
“We are here because fear is not safety, cruelty is not justice, and dehumanization is not law,” said Rev. David Grishaw-Jones, who opened the gathering by naming the moral stakes of the moment. “When families are terrorized and children are afraid to go to school, our democracy itself is wounded.”
Speakers emphasized that the current approach to immigration enforcement has moved beyond accountability and into intimidation—spreading fear in neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Clergy warned that masked and secretive enforcement tactics undermine public trust, violate constitutional principles, and place entire communities at risk.
Rev. Kurt Walker grounded the gathering in shared faith values, reminding the crowd that love must be practiced publicly, not privately. “Perfect love casts out fear,” he said. “Our faith traditions demand that we welcome the stranger, protect the vulnerable, and refuse to normalize systems that profit from terror.”
Jewish leaders spoke from a long history of displacement and survival. Rabbi Dan reflected on the Jewish experience of migration and exile, grounding the moment in moral urgency. “The Jewish people know the heart of the stranger because we have been strangers ourselves,” he said. “Now is the time for love, compassion, and justice—if not now, when?”
Rabbi Jon spoke to the urgency of the moment, calling for transparency, congressional oversight, and an end to enforcement practices that rely on intimidation rather than due process. He emphasized that no government agency is above moral or constitutional accountability.
The press conference concluded with a collective call to action—urging elected officials to demand real oversight, resist further funding for fear-based enforcement, and protect due process for immigrant families. Faith leaders also called on the wider public to stand as allies through accompaniment, mutual aid, truth-telling, and community solidarity.“We stand unified by love,” one speaker concluded. “And we will keep standing—until dignity is protected, truth is spoken, and justice is done.”