Portland, Oregon–based activists publicly called for a demonstration outside the private residence of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employee who works at the Portland ICE detention facility, marking a notable focus on targeting a federal agent while off duty. The call emphasized pressuring ICE through direct action and highlighted a willingness to move activity away from official government facilities to personal locations, such as homes. While the incident involved a residence and not a church or religious property, it raises broader security concerns about the potential for off-duty federal agents to be identified and targeted at other predictable locations they may regularly visit within the Portland, Oregon area.
The call emphasized pressuring ICE through direct action and highlighted a willingness to move activity away from official government facilities to personal locations, such as homes. While the incident involved a residence and not a church or religious property, it raises broader security concerns about the potential for off-duty federal agents to be identified and targeted at other predictable locations they may regularly visit within the Portland, Oregon area. My thoughts: I put out a detailed intelligence bulletin several months ago about the need for churches to meet with ICE agents that go to their church to talk about any security measures they need. While at church and for people in the parking lot to be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles, specifically for people that may be targeting ICE agents at the church. There could always be people in your congregation that disagree with what ICE is doing and they could be collaborating with Antifa, which would bring them to your church. The chances of this happening are pretty minimal, but it’s not zero, and it’s something that you should think about and keep in the back of your mind during your shiftEscalating Iran Tensions Increase Risk of Proxy and Lone Actor ActivityCurrent intelligence reporting points to a rapidly worsening situation inside Iran, driven by nationwide unrest, regime instability, and increasingly direct threats involving the United States and Israel. When governments face this level of internal and external pressure, they often shift toward asymmetric responses rather than conventional military action, relying on proxy networks, influence operations, and inspired violence abroad. Iran’s long established relationships with groups such as Hezbollah, combined with rhetoric framing domestic unrest as a foreign driven conflict, raise the likelihood of retaliatory or symbolic actions outside the region if tensions continue to escalate. For churches, the concern is not a specific or imminent threat, but the historical pattern that periods of heightened Iran U.S. confrontation have coincided with increased risk to soft targets, including Jewish and Christian institutions, carried out by proxy aligned or ideologically motivated actors operating with little to no direct oversight. My thoughts: Earlier this week, I released an intelligence assessment advising that the war drums were beating and it seemed as if war was imminent. Wednesday night, President Trump pulled back troops from what appeared to be an imminent strike. I am still advising that you need to monitor what is happening and Iran because it will directly affect us here in the United States. I cannot emphasize this enough.Youth Radicalization and Online Grooming Raise Concerns for Church EnvironmentsRecent intelligence reporting indicates that Islamic State networks are deliberately shifting toward long-term online indoctrination of younger demographics, using encrypted platforms and sustained grooming rather than immediate attack planning. This strategy prioritizes shaping beliefs and normalizing violence over time, often targeting digitally fluent youth who may not initially show overt warning signs. For churches, this trend matters because youth ministries, church schools, and family-focused programs can become unintended soft access points if behavioral changes, isolation, fixation on extremist narratives, or sudden shifts in worldview are overlooked. The emphasis on minors and young adults reinforces the importance of awareness among staff and volunteers who regularly interact with youth and are often best positioned to notice early indicators of concern. My thoughts: You should be monitoring your children, and you should be monitoring the kids in your church for indicators that they are being groomed. You don’t want one of your kids or one of your church kids to become the next Lone Wolf attacker of a church.Low-Tech, Low-Visibility Attack Preparation Remains a Persistent ThreatRecent reporting shows repeated use of simple, low-profile methods to support and prepare attacks, including gift cards, small cash transfers, homemade explosive devices, and legally obtained firearms. These approaches require little technical skill, leave minimal financial or digital footprints, and often stay below the threshold of traditional intelligence or law enforcement warning indicators. For churches and other soft targets, this matters because these threats tend to surface without advance notice and are carried out by individuals who blend into normal environments until the moment of action. The pattern reinforces the reality that prevention often depends less on external warnings and more on local awareness, observation of suspicious behavior, and preparedness to respond quickly when an incident unfolds.Did You Miss This Video I Put Out on Christian Warrior PREPPER?Violent Crime/Crimes Against PersonsYoung Man Fatally Shot Outside Athens ChurchA 26-year-old man was fatally shot in the early morning hours of December 18 outside Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Pulaski Street in Athens, Georgia, following an encounter with occupants of a vehicle stopped at a nearby intersection. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the man stepping into the roadway to speak with those inside the car before gunfire erupted, leaving him seriously injured. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities arrested a 22-year-old suspect two days later in Newton County on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and multiple firearm offenses. Investigators have not disclosed a motive. The victim was described by family as deeply spiritual, active in several Christian faith communities, and committed to helping others through justice, mental health, and advocacy work.Read the full story My thoughts: Having a 4K Video system doesn’t prevent crime, but it does help law enforcement in their investigation of crime. This is also a good example of most crime involving churches happens after hours and outside of the worship center.Mississippi Pastor Among Six Killed in Multi-Location Shooting SpreeAuthorities in Clay County, Mississippi, charged a 24-year-old man with first-degree murder following a series of fatal shootings on Friday evening that left six people dead, including a seven-year-old child and a local church pastor. Investigators say the violence began shortly before 7 p.m. at a residence on David Hill Road, where three family members were shot and killed, then continued at a home on Blake Road, where the suspect allegedly attempted a sexual assault before killing the child. The suspect later traveled to a residence on Siloam-Griffith Road, where deputies found two additional victims, one of whom was identified as a pastor at a local church; the church’s name was not released. The suspect was taken into custody just before midnight, and officials indicated the charge is expected to be elevated to capital murder, with the death penalty under consideration pending a mental competency evaluation. Autopsies are being conducted, and authorities say the motive for the attacks remains unknown.Read the full story |
