Press Release
FAITH COMMUNITIES LAUNCH HISTORIC CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT NEIGHBORS AND THE 2026 MIDTERMS
Media Contact
Eric Conrad | 202-799-8760 | Eric.Conrad@protectdemocracy,org
Prapti Ajmera | 202-867-5231 | [email protected]
Washington, D.C. — As Americans of faith mobilize to defend their neighbors and country, Interfaith Alliance and Protect Democracy United today announced the second phase of the #LoveNotICE campaign — a faith-driven effort aiming to counter overreach by ICE and other federal law enforcement ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The campaign’s new phase features :30 and :15 second digital advertisements launching amid the spring spiritual season, combining paid media, earned media, and on-the-ground organizing to reach the faithful where they work, live, and pray. The campaign is backed by over half a million dollars supporting faith organizations on the front lines of this fight for free and fair elections, which represents a historic investment by the pro-democracy faith movement.
"Virtually all faith traditions call on us to love our neighbors — and right now, that calling demands action,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President & CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “As Martin Niemoller famously taught and these new ads remind us, what starts with targeting one vulnerable community will soon spread to others. When we see cruelty unleashed against families in our communities and our sacred spaces, people of faith cannot stay silent. That is why thousands of faithful Americans are answering this moment with love, solidarity, and determined organizing.”
According to Protect Democracy United's Executive Override report, the administration is deploying a deliberate “Deceive, Disrupt, Deny” strategy to interfere with the 2026 midterms, which features the use of ICE and federal law enforcement to intimidate voters, crush peaceful dissent, and undermine trust in our election systems. Faith communities are vital civil society leaders who must speak out and organize in response.
"For the first time in modern American history, the machinery, power and resources of the entire federal government are being turned against our elections in a much more coordinated strategy,” said Ian Bassin, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy United. “This administration is deliberately using ICE and federal law enforcement to intimidate Americans, with a goal of scaring them off from participating fully in our democracy. In the past, when regressive forces in America have done this, our faith communities have stood at the forefront of pushing back, lighting the path forward with courage and moral force. They are doing that again today at a time when that leadership is needed more than ever."
Building on the successful winter holiday launch of #LoveNotICE – with an ad that racked up millions of views and ran in major markets – the campaign has trained more than 18,000 volunteers and is now expanding to key areas across the country where the risk of federal attempts to disrupt the 2026 election is greatest. That includes a wave of paid media in Phoenix, AZ in partnership with Arizona Faith Network; Madison, WI in partnership with Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice; Des Moines, IA in partnership with Interfaith Alliance of Iowa; and Harrisburg, PA in partnership with Interfaith Alliance of Pennsylvania. Interfaith Alliance has also provided more than $100,000 in local organizing grants to groups in more than 20 states as part of the campaign.
The campaign's ultimate goal is to train and activate 100,000 people of faith ahead of November 2026. Since the winter launch, the effort has already achieved significant early results, training nearly 20,000 people in faith-rooted, nonviolent civil resistance tactics.
To learn more or get involved, visit LoveNotICE.org. For more information visit: ProtectDemocracy.org
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