Arrest By ICE Has ELCA Leaders Up In Arms

Betty Rendon is an ELCA Synodically Authorized Lay Minister at an ELCA church and received her Masters of Divinity from the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). A few days ago, she and some family members were arrested by ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

So far we do not have many details about the incident, except what ELCA entities are saying. It all started with a one-sided account from Betty Rendon's church. You can read it here.

Then the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's presiding bishop began tweeting about the situation.

Pr Betty Rendon, Emaus Lutheran Racine along with daughter, husband, cousin arrested at gun point by ICE. Five yr old granddaughter was present. Pr Rendon beginning PhD at LSTC. Rally tomorrow night (5/15) in Racine. She fled Columbia when her school was attacked by guerrillas.

— Bishop Eaton (@ELCABishopEaton) May 14, 2019

More details. Betty Lendin has an MDiv from LSTC was accepted into the DMin program. She is a Synodically Authorized Lay Minister preaching at Emaus.

— Bishop Eaton (@ELCABishopEaton) May 15, 2019

​A letter about the situation was posted by the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) from President James Nieman, Dean of Student Services Scott Chalmers and Pastor to the Community Erik Christensen. 

In the letter they call the United States' immigration policy "racist." Here is the quote (see below also), "This incident brings into painful focus the ongoing need to reform this country’s racist, violent, and inhumane immigration system."

Of course, ELCA Advocacy had something to say. Below is part of an email they sent (see the full email here):

ELCA partner, the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service commented:
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​"This is absolutely heartbreaking and shameful behavior on behalf of ICE officers. LIRS will pray for and advocate for the just treatment of Pastor Rendón and all those who find themselves in her position."
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Some of the readers of the LIRS Facebook post commented saying, "We are becoming like a Hitler state..." "I am ashamed of our country..." "ICE equals deliberate cruelty." "ICE has no humanity....this is like the Nazi era." "We are very close to becoming a communist nation, Trumps SS is ICE. The time is near for all Americans to March on Washington!" "Abolish ICE." "Our government is looking more and more like murderous criminals." "ICE is disgraceful." 

A newspaper article titled ICE allegedly arrests Racine student pastor; Vigil planned for Wednesday can be seen here.  
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A seminary classmate of Betty Rendon added his 2 cents:
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Benjamin Stewart, a Professor & Director of Advanced Studies at LSTC tweeted that the "family was terrorized & separated":

An asylum-seeking @elca minister & her family terrorized & separated - my former @LSTChicago student Betty Rendon. Read the horrific account from her congregation https://t.co/2yTj8hZTsg
(corrected LSTC tag) pic.twitter.com/CQiZQceKuf

— Benjamin Stewart (@bstewLSTC) May 15, 2019

​ELCA pastor Chad McKenna writes "#AbolishICE":

According to this article, ICE arrested her daughters first. Her children. ICE arrested a DACA recipient and a U.S. Citizen at one location before pointing their guns at three unarmed adults who have long been in the process of seeking asylum. #AbolishICE https://t.co/CJJG8POKnB

— Chad McKenna (@cmckennaiv) May 15, 2019

​From ELCA Pastor Paul Eldred:

Betty Rendón, pastor of an @ELCA church in Wisconsin, was arrested at gunpoint by ICE along with her family. She fled Colombia and sought refuge in the US.
Another shameful act by this administration.
Please pray for her, her family, and her congregation. And then demand change! https://t.co/jt0s37b983

— Paul Eldred (@pmceldred) May 15, 2019

The DE-MD Synod tweeted:

Grateful for @ELCABishopEaton and her witness on behalf of Betty Rendon. https://t.co/fvXAiVSrL2

— DE-MD Synod ELCA (@ELCAdemdsynod) May 15, 2019

Matthew Short, the Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission at Greater Milwaukee Synod, was part of a gathering outside Betty Rendon's detention center. Below is his Facebook post about it:

More from the ELCA's Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago:

And from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

Here is a statement by the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod Bishop, Michael Rinehart. 

Here is a statement by the ELCA's New England Synod Bishop, James Hazelwood.