‘Provocative' sign at Oregon church opposes Alligator Alcatraz. It goes viral

Miami Herald

23-07-2025

A Protestant church in a suburban part of Oregon has gone viral for a sign promoting the church's views about a new migrant detention facility located more than 3,000 miles away.
'It shouldn't need to be said, but Alligator Alcatraz is in opposition to the teachings of Christ,' the Clackamas United Church of Christ in Milwaukie said in a July 18 Facebook post citing the sign.
Since opening earlier this month in the marshy Florida Everglades region, Alligator Alcatraz — named after a notorious federal prison off the coast of San Francisco — has drawn mixed reviews. Democrats and immigrant-rights activists have criticized it, calling it inhumane, while Republicans view it as safe and necessary for national security.
McClatchy News reached out to the Rev. Adam Ericksen, pastor of CUCC on July 23 but did not receive an immediate response.
Church goes viral with latest sign
The church led by Ericksen — part of a socially liberal Protestant Christian denomination that emphasizes unity — is known in the community for its signs, even featuring a calendar with photos of previous signs for sale on its website.
'We put up provocative messages up on the sign because I think that the gospel is provocative,' Ericksen told KATU.
But the latest sign mentioning Alligator Alcatraz is their 'most viral to date,' according to a July 22 Facebook post by the church.
The sign garnered attention from Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, who shared a photo of it and asked 'What's your reaction to this sign?' in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ericksen said the sign was 'meant to challenge,' KATU reported.
'If the United States actually wanted to be a Christian nation, we would be loving our neighbors, including our undocumented neighbors, our queer neighbors, as we love ourselves,' he told the outlet.
Milwaukie is about a five-mile drive southeast from Portland, Oregon.
More to know about Alligator Alcatraz
The migrant detention center, which opened July 1, was transformed from an abandoned Florida airport in eight days, the Miami Herald reported.
It is expected to hold up to 5,000 people awaiting deportation, authorities told CNN.
During a tour of the facility in July, President Donald Trump — who's posted on social media about a desire to reopen Alcatraz in San Francisco — said it was an 'amazing job.'
But some, including lawmakers, medical officials and activists, have spoken out and even filed lawsuits against the facility.
'They are essentially packed into cages, wall-to-wall humans, 32 detainees per cage,' Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat for Florida's 25th Congressional District, said after touring it, CNN reported.
Families of the detainees have also spoken out against the conditions in the facility, according to the outlet.