Two secular legislators and a Freedom From Religion Foundation staff member from Minnesota offer their perspectives for the latest episode of “Secular Spotlight” on the ongoing ICE crisis.
FFRF Legal Fellow Kyle Steinberg, who grew up in the Twin Cities, speaks with Minnesota state Rep. Andy Smith and Oklahoma state Rep. and FFRF Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. They cover what’s happening on the ground, the constitutional violations tied to ICE raids and how communities and lawmakers are organizing and pushing back against the use of religion and Christian nationalism to justify state violence.
“Some conservative Christian outlooks tend towards authoritarianism. They take this view of God and his ultimate authority and apply it to men at times,” Smith reflects. “They’re prone to that loyalty to such an extent that they will allow that authority to call evil good and good evil.”
You can catch the latest episode of “Secular Spotlight” on FFRF’s YouTube channel, as well as by watching on your smart TV after downloading FFRF’s free app, Freethought TV, which also highlights FFRF’s other video programming. Previous episodes include one hosted by FFRF’s legislative team that dives into the Secular Student Bill of Rights, and FFRF Legal Intake Assistant Daniel Dossey and FFRF IT Director Scott Knicklebine interviewing ex-Mormon Britt Hartley. See our full playlist for more videos!
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 41,000 dues-paying members, FFRF is the largest freethought association in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
