Department of Herod Security’s War on Christmas
Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security released a new video that almost seems like it was conjured up during a drug trip. A series of rapid-fire clips pop on screen in quick succession. Meanwhile, glowing green letters declare on screen the whole time: “Christmas After Mass Deportations.” As a caption to the video, DHS added on social media: “This Christmas, our hearts grow as our illegal population shrinks.”
They’re mostly scenes from movies or TV of people celebrating at Christmas. Like Will Ferrell dancing in the mailroom in Elf, Tim Allen transforming in The Santa Clause, and the crowd singing in George Bailey’s home at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life. Multiple clips of Donald Trump are sprinkled in, along with scenes of big things that happened on Christmas Day, like Pope Leo III crowning Charlemagne as emperor and Mikhail Gorbachev resigning as president of the Soviet Union.
In addition to the painting of a pope, there are other religious moments in the video. Most notably, the middle of the video features a nativity scene followed by a closeup of the star above it.
I don’t care if a store clerk says, “Happy holidays” or if the seasonal cup from Starbucks is just plain red. The fake “war on Christmas” examples ginned up by culture war talk show hosts in recent years are nothing compared to misusing the birth of Jesus — and Christmas celebrations in general — to justify anti-immigrant policies. It’s like DHS read the Christmas story and decided Herod was the good guy.
While tossing a Nativity scene into an anti-immigrant propaganda video is quite atrocious, it’s unfortunately not the only time the Department of Herod Security has kidnapped Christmas this season to justify kidnapping people.
You’re a Mean One
DHS’s social media has frequently invoked Christmas to justify their anti-immigrant policies. Here are a few examples:
Images of immigration agents dressed up with Santa hats and Christmas lights along with the caption “You’re going Ho Ho Home.”
A post declaring, “All America wants for Christmas is remigration.” The concept of “remigration” is a controversial idea popular with far-right, anti-immigrant European groups.
A parody of “Jingle Bells” about giving immigrants a ride out of the country.
Several posts featuring Christmas trees or decorations in the background as someone espouses anti-immigrant opinions.
A picture of Santa in front of a military plane and the words, “Tis the Season for Mass Deportations.”
A post with a Norman Rockwell Santa painting and a quote claiming, “America. It is the only place where miracles not only happen, but where they happen all the time.” Rockwell’s family previously condemned DHS for using his paintings in their social media posts.
Several posts urging people “this Christmas season” to “go home for the holidays” either by self-deportation or on an ICE flight.
Posts calling immigration arrests a “Christmas gift to Americans” and proof that “Christmas came early!”
An image of Santa’s reindeer pulling not a sleigh but a plane labeled “ICE Air.”
A video of Santa as an ICE worker (with “ICE” on his red suit) putting someone in handcuffs and directing people onto a deportation flight. The caption declares, “Avoid ICE Air and Santa’s naughty list!!” The end of the video adds, “Merry Christmas.”
And they’ve posted several other Christmas-themed messages, mixed in with arrest porn shots of immigrants in custody, attacks on Democratic politicians, and more misuses of Bible verses to justify anti-immigrant policies.
Reason for the Season
The most religiously offensive DHS Christmas post is clearly the one that includes a Nativity scene. But the whole genre of anti-immigrant Christmas videos, photos, and comments should upset Christians. They’re taking our holy day and twisting it to demonize people for whom Jesus came to save on that first Christmas. And they’re bastardizing a story about a family that fled political violence as refugees to Egypt to instead attack people who have fled political violence today.
Meanwhile, DHS leaders have attacked Nativity scenes at churches, and the White House rebuffed a plea from Catholic bishops urging a pause in immigration arrests and actions during the holidays this week.
Jesus warned us about people who invoke him but then hate their neighbors: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’” Similarly, not everyone who says, “Merry Christmas,” actually honors it.
As we approach the end of this holy season of Advent, may we reject the anti-immigrant policies of the modern Department of Herod Security and its war on Christmas.
As a public witness,
Brian Kaylor
There were many who have tried to find a Biblical equivalent to this current administration. David and Darius comes to mind. In this season, however, the comparison to Herod is pretty spot on. An aging ruler, paranoid and surronded by sycophants, who sees threats all around. A Public Witness and Unsettling Advent has been a blessing in this final month of, should I say, a most interesting year. Your work is light in a world of darkness.
I won't let this ruin my Christmas and I won't forward it until St. Stephen's Day so I don't ruin anyone else's. We should be more intentional using the church's own vocabulary, words like demonic and blasphemy. When I described the labeling of Somalians as "garbage" as blasphemy in a sermon, no one complained and several expressed agreement as they left church.