The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday that a church's reinterpretation of a Nativity scene that reportedly intended to "disturb passersby" this Christmas is an example of what's contributing to increases in assaults on ICE.

An art display of the Nativity scene at the Missiongathering church in Charlotte, North Carolina, reportedly depicted Jesus, Mary and Joseph with "masked immigration agents wearing bulletproof vests and carrying handcuffs."

"The goal is to translate the Christmas story into a modern context," Rev. Andrew Shipley told The Charlotte Observer. "If the Holy Family had been in Charlotte two weeks ago, they would have been putting the baby Jesus in handcuffs because he wouldn’t have his papers."

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not zip-tying infants or children.

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"Not only is this ‘nativity’ scene offensive to Christians, but it is also depicting something that – despite what Rev. Shipley says – NEVER happens," McLaughlin said to Fox News Digital.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Missiongathering Church criticized immigration enforcement, and the church pastor’s goal was to "force viewers to confront the fear many immigrant families in Charlotte felt following recent immigration arrests in the city."

The installation displays the biblical account of Mary, Joseph and Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem with the addition of figures dressed as ICE agents. Shipley told the paper the depiction mirrors what immigrant families are experiencing today. He said the church had been helping people who were "afraid" after U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrived in the city.

The installation was reportedly created by an artist group called TaskForce, which has been involved in similar installations across the country. The group reportedly contacted the church by phone and email with the idea, enlisting local artists to build the display.

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"The goal is to disturb, to make people feel something," Shipley said. "What’s been happening to Charlotte families… is disturbing and is graphic and horrifying."

McLaughlin explained further that such "demonization of law enforcement is contributing to a more than 1,150% increase in assaults on ICE."

"Get a grip and seek help," McLaughlin added. 

DHS said last month that assaults and violent attacks against ICE law enforcement officers have surged more than 1,150% compared to the same period last year under the Biden administration.

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ICE has increased arrests since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Missiongathering Church did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Other churches around the country have also used Nativity scenes to criticize ICE and highlight immigration issues.

A similar reinterpretation of the Nativity scene appeared at Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois, depicting baby Jesus with his hands zip-tied and guarded by figures styled as ICE agents.

Another Nativity scene at St. Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, prompted calls for removal from the acting ICE director and the Archdiocese of Boston. 

EXCLUSIVE: After decades of strained relations, Bolivia is seeking a new partnership with the U.S. as it repositions itself in the region and works to reduce its dependence on China. 

The country’s pro-business conservative President, Rodrigo Paz, was sworn in last month, and made quick work of pivoting his country away from alliances with China and Venezuela and toward Western nations.  

Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo spoke with Fox News Digital as he visited Washington this week to sign an agreement reestablishing diplomatic ties with Israel, which had been cut off during the war in Gaza by the previous government.

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"We are looking for a long-term relationship with U.S., relations based on the same values and interests that we share, for democracy and to create a new alliance in South America," Aramayo said.

Paz's victory followed the unraveling of nearly two decades of leftist rule under Evo Morales and Luis Arce, whose MAS party fractured amid economic crises, corruption scandals and mounting public anger over alleged narcotrafficking networks embedded in the state. The collapse of that political machine opened the door for a conservative, pro-business candidate — a dramatic turn for a country that had been one of China and Venezuela’s closest ideological allies in the region.

Aramayo said his nation would institute new laws and regulations to attract U.S. investment and break up China’s "monopoly" on mining its natural resources, particularly lithium. 

The "U.S. has a lot of technology and has a lot of experience and sustainable extraction of resources," Aramayo said. "We want to take advantage of that. Of course, we want to receive some technology transfers and to be part of the whole chain of production."

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Aramayo said he "of course" shares U.S. concerns that China uses its investments in Latin America to extract leverage. "We want to diversify our portfolio and we want serious investors."

Aramayo said one of the region’s most urgent challenges is the growing influence of transnational criminal organizations, which he argues have flourished amid years of political instability. He warned that cartels have embedded themselves across South America and that Bolivia is still grappling with the legacy of what he described as "narco authorities" governing the country over the past two decades.

"We’re very concerned about the presence of these cartels in South America," he said, noting that criminal networks undermine confidence in state institutions and fuel cross-border instability.

The interview comes as the U.S. steps up pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, striking what U.S. officials describe as narco-trafficking vessels linked to his regime and seizing an oil tanker allegedly used to evade sanctions. Aramayo did not criticize or oppose the U.S. actions, saying instead that Washington — like any government — "has the right to represent their own interests." He added that South American nations broadly share concerns about Venezuela’s trajectory and are open to diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.

Bolivia’s new administration, he said, intends to support a "democratic transition" in Venezuela and work with regional partners to help restore the "legitimacy and reliability" of its institutions after years of political repression and economic collapse.