New York, January 28, 2026
Photo: orthodoxobserver.org
Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese America issued a statement on January 26, condemning the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota during Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti occurred during ICE enforcement activities in Minnesota in the past few weeks. The incidents have sparked significant public attention and debate over immigration enforcement practices.
In his statement released via social media, Abp. Elpidophoros called the killings tragic, emphasizing that lethal force must not become routine or preemptive in a society governed by law.
The Archbishop also addressed the responsibilities of law enforcement officers, stating they deserve respect and the means to carry out their duties safely. He warned against strategies that dehumanize any group, whether officers, immigrants, or protesters, arguing such approaches undermine civic bonds.
Read the Archbishop’s full statement:
We are shaken to our core by the second tragic killing of an American citizen in Minnesota. The loss of human life especially under the authority of the state is always a grave moral event, demanding truth, restraint, and accountability. We condemn these killings unequivocally. In a society governed by law, lethal force must never become routine, casual, or preemptive.
We must also be mindful that our law-enforcement officers are entrusted with a grave and difficult responsibility. They deserve respect, protection, and the lawful means necessary to carry out their duties with safety and dignity. They should not be subjected to calculated provocation that seeks escalation. We must therefore push back against the deliberate strategy of dehumanizing the “other.” When any group is reduced to a caricature—every officer cast as a brute, every immigrant as a threat, every protester as an enemy—we corrode the bonds that make civic life possible.
Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, and every person in the United States is endowed with inalienable rights. For those who choose to protest, and for those entrusted with public safety, there exist moral limits and shared obligations that safeguard our common life. May God enlighten all to honor the moral boundaries that protect the worth of every human life.
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