Leavenworth pastor joins clergy protest of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis

LEAVENWORTH — Pastor Aaron Musser of Leavenworth’s Faith Lutheran Church traveled to Minneapolis on Jan. 22 and 23, joining approximately 200 faith leaders from across the country to witness and speak out against federal immigration enforcement tactics.

“My main takeaway was how much of a faithful collective witness there was, that people in Minneapolis were not looking away,” said Musser.

Musser decided to make the trip after seeing a call to action by the Minnesota group MARCH (Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing), which was shared by his Lutheran colleagues in Minneapolis.

“They were calling for more leaders of faith to come and bear witness and accompany the community of Minneapolis as it was resisting,” said Musser.

The Religious News Service (RNS), which photographed Musser in action, reported accounts from a handful of clergy who were a part of the gathering, including an Episcopal bishop from Washington, a rabbi from Indiana, and a Catholic reverend from Oklahoma.

“You can only preach against ICE for so long before God calls you to get out of the pulpit and get to the streets,” Rev. Joshua Shawnee of Tulsa, Oklahoma, told RNS.

According to Musser, the faith leaders spent the first day learning about nonviolent resistance and deescalation techniques. From there, Musser and other clergy went into the Lake Street neighborhood to hear first hand accounts and learn about the ongoing support network within the community, which was operating food pantries and coordinating ICE watches. The group wore their collars and stoles over their winter attire.

“[A man] came up and shared that he was a person of faith and that his faith was helping him do his own work of protecting these communities,” said Musser.

The next day, Musser and other faith leaders at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, singing and praying as they called for an end to the deportation flights leaving the airport. Several news outlets reported nearly 100 clergy were arrested and issued misdemeanors for trespassing and failure to comply with a peace officer, but were later released. The Metropolitan Airports Commission told news outlets that it had worked with the organizers to provide a permit, but that the number of people in attendance "went beyond the agreed-upon terms." 

“At each one of these actions and rallies and protests, there were songs being sung,” said Musser. “I experienced it as super effective, because in those moments where violence could have escalated between protestors and federal agents, singing and leadership and being focused and disciplined in a moral and ethical center was just so grounding.”

Musser said he and fellow clergy left Minnesota feeling better equipped to support their own communities, whether it was fostering connection and comfort among fearful residents, or knowing how to respond if ICE presence and violence ramped up.

Groups of faith leaders also sat in on several corporate headquarters, pressuring them to stand up against ICE. Musser’s group went to U.S. Bank, where he said they were successful in securing a meeting with the CEO, Gunjan Kedia.

On Jan. 25, a day after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released a letter signed by more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies, including Kedia, “calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”

Musser flew home on the day of Pretti’s death, but said a call went out for clergy still in Minnesota to stay and offer chaplaincy for anyone who was grieving, as well as provide a chaplain presence where confrontations may escalate.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media