Kirk Franklin needs the pastors and their congregation to stomp in these streets!

The superstar gospel artist is urging church leaders to break their silence on recent ICE actions and to speak up for families affected by immigration enforcement, bluntly reminding people that, “Jesus’ momma and daddy were immigrants.” 

Franklin made the comments while addressing reporters on the Grammys’ red carpet, calling on pastors and congregations to move beyond sermons and symbolic statements. “We need to be very careful to not be arrogant and prideful,” he said, “and I think that we need to get in the streets and to be able to save and love as many people as we can. And when I say ‘save,’ I’m not talking about just their souls — I’m talking about their lives.” 

He added, “We need to be feeding people, taking care of people, looking out for people…we need to be more compassionate about the human race.”

His message was direct: faith communities should combine compassion with action when government enforcement threatens families. Franklin said that churches must do more than issue statements; they should protect and advocate for people whose lives are at risk, particularly immigrant families and the Black communities that are also affected by aggressive enforcement. 

Franklin also rooted his call to action in scripture and moral duty, using the example of Jesus’ family to argue that migration and sanctuary are not foreign to Christian teaching. “Jesus’ momma and daddy were immigrants,” he said, using the point to challenge pastors who remain neutral on policing and deportations. 

He grew emotional describing the human cost of enforcement. He emphasized that calling out injustice is part of the church’s mission: protecting life, advocating for the vulnerable, and translating faith into concrete help. 

Franklin’s comments highlight the role of religious institutions in political and humanitarian crises. While some faith leaders have publicly condemned specific enforcement actions, Franklin’s criticism pushes for sustained, visible advocacy.

Responses to Franklin’s activist urging were mixed. On social media, critics accused Franklin of blurring religion, politics, and performance. Some people even said he was out of line or off-message, while supporters pointed to scripture and historical precedent, arguing his stance was both faithful and necessary. 

Franklin himself pushed the conversation beyond immigration, calling out economic insecurity and rapid tech shifts (including AI) as moral crises that demand the church’s attention. His bottom line: faith communities should default to compassion (not silence) whenever people’s lives and livelihoods are on the line.