Nationwide — Gospel singer Kirk Franklin criticized church leaders for staying silent on ICE actions affecting immigrant and Black communities. He urged faith leaders to speak out, citing Jesus’ immigrant roots and calling for compassion and action.
Franklin spoke with Baller Alert at the 2026 Grammys, pointing out that many pastors avoid speaking about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its recent operations. He stressed that the issue hits Black communities and other vulnerable groups hard.
The ICE crackdown has led to nationwide arrests, protests, and even violent incidents affecting U.S. citizens. Franklin noted that celebrities like Kehlani, Bad Bunny, SZA, and Billie Eilish have already spoken out against these actions, but church leaders remain largely quiet.
Franklin said church leaders should not ignore policies that impact vulnerable communities, including Black families, and stressed that speaking up reflects true Christian values.
“I think that we should be very intentional about being very vocal about, first of all, Jesus’ momma and daddy were immigrants. So we just need to be very careful to not be arrogant and prideful. And I think that we need to get in the streets and to be able to save and love as many people as we can,” Franklin said, according to Blavity. “And when I say ‘save,’ I’m not talking about just their souls — I’m talking about their lives.”
He also pointed to broader challenges ahead, including job losses tied to advances in artificial intelligence. “We need to be feeding people, taking care of people, looking out for people. Because the way this government is happening, with this change in AI, it’s gonna put a lot of people out of work. So we need to be more compassionate about the human race.”