Former Pastor Sparks Controversy by Justifying ICE Raids with the Bible

• Pastor defends Bible-based raids
• Hegseth linked to extremism
• Statements spark major controversy

Joshua Haymes, a former pastor and current host of the Reformation Red Pill podcast, has stirred new controversy after claiming that the Bible supports immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The former religious leader went even further, calling for public executions under the same argument, insisting that the “Holy Scriptures” validate such practices.

These statements, published by the British newspaper The Guardian, have raised concerns among extremism experts, who warn about the impact that rhetoric of this kind can have in fueling political and religious radicalization in the United States.

Pastor Defends Immigration Raids with the Bible

🇺🇸 |#DiarioLibreUSA| Joshua Haymes, former pastor and host of the podcast Reformation Red Pill, defends extremist positions that raise concern among extremism experts.

🔗https://t.co/gkPA5XagPA#DiarioLibre #JoshuaHaymes #Pastor pic.twitter.com/Z9k1ypBptl

— Diario Libre (@DiarioLibre) August 22, 2025

Haymes maintains a close relationship with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has not only publicly defended his podcast but also appeared in at least four episodes.

During those appearances, Hegseth expressed support for theocratic doctrines such as “sphere sovereignty,” according to San Diego Red.

Related: Hispanic TikToker Arrested by ICE in Los Angeles During Live Stream

This concept argues that the State should be governed by God’s laws rather than by secular law.

The closeness between the two figures has raised alarms, prompting questions about the extent to which high-ranking political leaders may be influenced by extreme religious views.

Extremist and Racist Positions

🙏 Former pastor reveals how the Bible justifies ICE raids. Total controversy!

My world collapsed when I heard his arguments. A former pastor using sermons to defend the indefensible. He quoted verses, distorting faith to support division. I felt a profound… pic.twitter.com/sBUwQqvmDJ

— Por qué es tendencia en RevuTJ (@RevuTJ) August 23, 2025

Joshua Haymes’ history of statements reveals a growing pattern of extremism.

He has advocated for the death penalty in cases of adultery and abortion, and for the drowning of LGBTQ+ demonstrators.

On his platforms, he has also downplayed antisemitism and minimized the threat of neo-Nazism—stances that have drawn strong criticism from human rights organizations.

Although he has stated that he is no longer a pastoral fellow, he continues to maintain ties with the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship (PHRF), which is part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), to which Hegseth is also affiliated.

A Concerning Rhetoric

Haymes’s most recent statements—defending immigration raids on biblical grounds and invoking imagery of the slaveholding Confederacy—have been described by experts as “alarming.”

Some have even compared his words to Ku Klux Klan rhetoric, warning of the danger that such messages could become normalized within far-right religious and political sectors.

The controversy underscores how certain religious leaders continue to fuel radical narratives that, beyond religion, directly shape political life and debates over human rights in the United States.