The front door of the First Baptist Church of Martha’s Vineyard has a welcome sign in Portuguese with a Brazilian and American flag, and inside there are wooden walls, an old organ, and a velvety light blue floor that frame the pulpit where Brazilian Pastor Renato Santos delivers a sermon.
At a moment when many in the Brazilian community are seeking solace in their faith, Santos’ sermon this week in Portuguese addresses the fear spreading throughout the Island’s resilient and hardworking Brazilian community, after rumors that swept the Island on Thursday over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid — which later were found to be false.
The pastor’s themes focus on the New Testament’s Epistle to the Romans and the persecution of the first Christian believers in ancient Rome, and the messages in the Bible that state there is a higher power than the often unjust rule of the powers that be.
“I believe that their fear wasn’t much different from the fear many of us lived this week,” Santos said, comparing the Brazilian community today to those Christians fearing persecution in ancient Rome.
But Santos stressed through his sermon that abiding by the law is also central to the gospel. Santos, who is himself an immigrant from Brazil, stood before the congregation wearing a navy blue suit with a red tie, echoing the colors of the American flag.
“Authorities are not always just,” he said, even as he reminded the 80 or so members of the evangelical congregation at what they call the First Renewed Baptist Church. “We all should subject ourselves to governmental authority, for there is no authority that does not itself come from God,” he said.
The pastor, his sermon, and the congregation in this small parish huddled together on a cold night in Vineyard Haven are part of a Brazilian community of immigrants that represents 20 percent of the year-round population of 20,000, and is vital to the Island. Despite its size and its import, it is a community that is sometimes misunderstood by other Islanders who live and work beside them.
Barriers of language and culture can often isolate this wave of migrants who hail from an interior and largely rural part of the Brazilian state Minas Gerais, where the politics run very conservative. In reporting on the community over the past year, and based on research from a Boston University political scientist studying Brazilian immigration across Massachusetts, there is a significant level of support by Brazilians for President Trump, and a general acceptance of his policies — even his immigration reform efforts. This would likely surprise many people across America, and even right here, on an Island which is widely perceived as liberal and in strong opposition to Trump. The protesters gathered at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven this week were evidence of that political leaning, protesting Trump’s campaign of fear that is targeting immigrants. While it was a gathering intended to show solidarity with the Brazilian community, it was noticeable that there were few immigrants among the protesters.
The pastor also ultimately turned his sermon toward solidarity with those who are fearful of deportation or arrest in a community where it is estimated that the vast majority are undocumented, saying, “Fear will invade the hearts, but do not lower your heads; you’re not criminals, you’re a citizen of heaven, someone chosen by the Lord to make a difference wherever you are.”
The estimated 4,000 Brazilians who live on the Island belong to a network of religious communities, mainly evangelical, which often can provide predictors of supporting conservative worldviews such as the ones defended by Trump, according to research by Taylor Boas, a professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Boston University.
“If someone has been here working for 10, 15, 20 years, if they have the right to buy a house, buy a car, or start a business, and they’re not falsifying anything to have these things, why don’t these people have the right to a work visa? Everyone would benefit from it,” he said, asking, “Haven’t these people been punished enough already?
Boas interviewed evangelical and Catholic Brazilians living in New England during Brazil’s presidential elections in 2022. There were even polling sites in cities like Malden and Framingham, where immigrants, including some from Martha’s Vineyard, cast ballots in the Brazilian election. Brazilian immigrants overwhelmingly supported Brazil’s former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, sometimes referred to as “the Trump of the tropics.” And 53 percent responded that they also supported President Donald Trump and his policies, even if most of them were not eligible to vote in U.S. elections unless they carry dual citizenship.
“Socialization within religious communities is an important factor in Brazilians’ political attitudes,” said Boas. “It’s not so much about their priests or pastors endorsing candidates from the pulpit, although that does happen sometimes, but it’s much more about people learning from one another, and reinforcing existing views within their congregations that play a really important role in their life,” he said.
Meiroka Nunes, a well-known organizer in the Brazilian community who runs a popular Facebook group for Brazilians on the Island, said, “I believe about 70 percent of the Brazilian community on the Island supports Trump, like me, in many areas.”
Proud of her evangelical faith and her Brazilian heritage, Nunes and other Brazilian immigrants interviewed by The Times spoke of their moral values, particularly a conservative approach on everything from the economy to abortion and gender roles. There is strong support in this community, just as there is across America, for the deportation of people with serious criminal records. These Brazilian immigrants also expressed a maturing sense of American politics, which allows them to distinguish the wild bluster of Trump, as they saw in his first term, from the reality of his immigration policies then, which by raw numbers was not much different from Democratic presidents, specifically President Obama. What will happen in this Trump administration remains to be seen, and they are watching carefully.
They express hope that Trump will be able to reward hard-working, taxpaying migrants like themselves with some type of amnesty; that hasn’t happened since the administration of Ronald Reagan, who passed a signature immigration reform act in 1986.
It is interesting that research by Boston University’s Boas indicates that though Brazilian immigrants may lean right in many ways, they also can lean toward Democrats on more local politics, and in particular have shown support for Gov. Maura Healey and her fellow Democrats in the Massachusetts State House who pushed for legislation that allowed immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.
At the end of the day, the same issues that led many U.S. citizens to support Trump in the past election are also driving Brazilian immigrants, and they can be summed up in one term: the economy.
Last Thursday morning, Flavia Barbosa, who defines herself as not religious, stopped at an almost empty shop to get a doughnut and a coffee. She is originally from Brazil, but has lived on the Island for 30 years, and is an American citizen who voted for Donald Trump last November.
“The No. 1 concern is the economy,” she said, specifically referencing the high price of gasoline at the pump. “A gallon of gas was $5, I saw even $5.89 here. Biden was not bad, but he was not good. If he had stepped up his game in the last months of his administration, maybe I’d have voted for him.”
Like other longtime immigrants on the Island, Barbosa shared her struggles in the cleaning business where she works. She said that inflation and a downturn in some business activity on the Island since COVID, combined with the competition caused by the arrival of many more migrants in the past couple of years, have all served to make it more difficult for her to keep the same level of income she has had in the past.
Brazilian immigrants represent a significant workforce in cleaning, landscaping, construction, and restaurant-industry jobs on the Island. Their absence last Thursday due to ICE raid rumors offered a glimpse into the importance of their participation in the labor force, as the Island slowed down from construction sites to supermarkets and restaurants, and streets were empty of traffic.
“I support arresting and deporting criminals, but I don’t think that deporting people who are not criminals is right,” Barbosa said.
According to Boas, some immigrants can also be falling into “motivated reasoning” to justify their political views. “There’s a tendency for people to align their thinking so they are all in for a particular political position, rather than being conflicted,” he said. He said immigration policies would likely reduce some Brazilians’ support for Trump: “Some people are convincing themselves that these policies are just going to be focused on criminals, and I’m not a criminal, right? They convinced themselves that these policies won’t impact them, their friends, their loved ones directly. We will see if that changes, and if people’s attitudes change.”
Last Friday evening, when immigrants were slowly getting back to work, a group of three Brazilians were taking the ferry back from landscaping and carpentry work on the Island. They said many people they know on the Island support Trump in hopes that he will reduce immigration, and therefore competition for jobs for them, and that he will cut taxes.
One of them, Wellington, who asked to be identified only by his first name for fear of being targeted by immigration authorities, said that he doubts the honeymoon period will continue indefinitely.
Commenting on the widespread support for Trump in the Island’s Brazilian community, Wellington asked, “Will they continue to support him after the scare everyone went through on Thursday?”
Back at the Baptist Church in Vineyard Haven, Santos reminded undocumented members of the community that they were not criminals, but they had committed an infraction — a misdemeanor, in legal terms.
“Some people are convincing themselves that these policies are just going to be focused on criminals, and I’m not a criminal, right? They convinced themselves that these policies won’t impact them, their friends, their loved ones directly. We will see if that changes, and if people’s attitudes change.”
In an interview at his home late last week, the pastor said he believes Trump could be the turning point to put immigration as a top priority for the country.
“I don’t believe that Trump is a savior of the nation,” Santos said. “But I understand that among the options the country had, Trump was the best choice to awaken the authorities to the magnitude of the immigration problem, and perhaps make it a priority. Because we always see Republicans and Democrats talking about this issue, but it never becomes a priority.”
Santos, who himself is an immigrant who came to the U.S. from Brazil a quarter-century ago, highlighted how some sectors of the U.S. and Island economy would suffer without migrants, particularly painting, cleaning, construction and landscaping.
“If someone has been here working for 10, 15, 20 years, if they have the right to buy a house, buy a car, or start a business, and they’re not falsifying anything to have these things, why don’t these people have the right to a work visa? Everyone would benefit from it,” he said, asking, “Haven’t these people been punished enough already?”
View a video of Santos’ sermon here.
This piece is part of a continuing series of articles on Brazilian immigration and how it is impacting the Island by Paula Moura, who is herself from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The first part of the series, A wave of immigration, is available here.
An excellent well written article
The article offers ICE information about undocumented migrants on Martha’s Vineyard.
I wonder what the Brazilians who voted for Trump are thinking right now, at this moment.
Like other evangelicals across the country, they voted against their own interests for an immoral criminal who choses to grant “rights” to a chosen few, while he has taken away reproductive rights, replaced tolerance with fear in the LGBTQ community, and is sewing the seeds of a public health crisis as we look on helplessly. He looks upon the immigrant community with complete disdain and yet he is supported there. Go figure.
Maureen,
If Brazilians (a term with not so subtle racism built right in) voted for President Trump they would be legal citizens, and as such, would have no worries about deportation or other sanctions.
thank you John, of course, we can deduce that voters are American citizens. This article is specifically about the Brazilian Community, and there is no racist intent on my part. I still maintain that they voted against their own interests along with others in the Evangelical community… that was the complete statement, and deportation, while not an issue for them, will still affect them, their community, and their businesses. Thanks, your comment inspired me to expand my explanation.
Just because they are American citizens doesn’t mean that they don’t likely have undocumented friends and family members. They also may object to Trump’s new policies because they are harmful to other members of their community. So I wouldn’t say they have “no worries.”
Dan,
Of course. Enforcing the laws will have consequences for those who have broken them. As I have heard again and again in this forum, “no one is above the law.” I can’t imagine such a sentiment to be selectively applied, with tongue in cheek.
We do have a 34 times over convicted felon running free and going to the superbowl, and playing lots of golf. We also have quite a few people who assaulted police officers, were duly convicted and sentenced for their crimes that are free to go where they wish.. No tongue in cheek… Unfortunately, some people actually are above the law.
Incorrect!
There is NO guarantee that any citizen is not going to get caught up and put in a holding cell and denied the right to get a lawyer, which ICE aka drumpf can send you to ANY country that they desire.
The vast majority of people here support the Brazilian community. The resentment is being built up because a few at the top who are monopolizing the labor. That’s what they are referring too in the article. These people who are contributing and on the path to citizenship, they are being punished with less work, and are pushed aside.
Sometimes people make large errors in judgment and vote against their own best interests. Sadly this has proven to be the truth with this election. Voter regret has come on fast and wide in just a few weeks
Not for me. I think people are happy with the results of having voted their own best interests. That’s true for me. I saw it as a least worst, and as far as what concerns me most, I am happy with my decision. The losing side is happy in making up untrue, scary stories and whataboutisms, and the winners are, you know, happy.
Jackie, out of curiosity, what untrue and scary stories are you referring to?
A few days ago, a young man from
Venezuela was arrested and is waiting
for deportation, who arrived in
the US legally and committed no crime.
If it can happen to him,
it will happen to others.
What John said id absolutely true. And, I know several Latin American immigrants personally (some on island and some off) who came here legally and became citizens through the current system (which needs fixing) and supported President Trump fully and want him to get immigration back under control.
I also know an ICE agent personally. He is part of a team which takes down the worst of the worst. Even under President Biden they were deporting some (not many) of the CRIMINAL immigrants which is the current focus. The general public has no idea what has been infiltrating our country in recent years. Pray for these ICE teams. They risk their lives and the safety of their families every day because they want all Americans and immigrants to live in safety.
Unfortunately, when your dealing with the kind of caos which has been created, errors such as the one mentioned by Mary will happen as they have before. I truly hope this error and any others like it will be corrected.
Flavia Barbosa summed it up perfectly–She got here, she worked hard, she jumped through all the hoops, got citizenship and the right to vote–And she voted to close the door behind her. No untruths, no scary stories about whataboutisms , just the reality of what America is really about these days — Achieve the dream, and make sure nobody takes it away from you by getting here, working hard and jumping through all the hoops . But there is one problem with that zero sum gain philosophy.. It actually suppresses our economic growth , as well as our morality and our compassion for others. . In a September 1963 speech ,President John F Kennedy articulately summed it up when he said ” a rising tide lifts all boats”. It is clear that the influx of immigrants, both legal and undocumented has lifted not only the economy of this island, but has contributed to its diversity, equity and inclusion. Of course, some people think we should only have white Christians here, but I disagree– I value the contributions of all the different religious communities, the LGBTQ community, and the racial and ethnic blend we have here. It’s what makes our island great.
Don, it also is a community killer. The Brazil community is quite tight here and it’s an island so tight geographically as well. When you have those who gained citizens voting against many in their community (and in many cases family) who haven’t it can’t help but become divisive. There’s a lot of cognitive dissonance going on IMO.
Great post by the way.
Hi Maureen, I’m sure that you respect Brazilians, and other immigrants on MV. But, it sounds like you’re talking down to Brazilians and scolding them for not voting like you, as if they don’t understand their own values. If someone votes different than you,, it’s not because they’re stupid. I applaud legal immigrants and encourage them to vote according to their conscience. I would not want conservative immigrants targeted for wrong-think. If you’re going to welcome immigrants, welcome them whole-heartedly. If most Brazilians on MV voted for Trump, they are in the large majority of all Americans. Democrat politicians suffered an epic defeat due to their own failures and mistakes. Don’t blame your neighbors, blame your politicians.
is 51% now considered a large majority ?
and when you say “all Americans”, please acknowledge that 36% of eligible Americans did not vote in 2024.
At least try and post something accurate Kay. There was no large majority. In fact Trump received less than 50% of the vote.
Kay, respectfully disagree that Democrats
lost their elections because of their own
failures and mistakes. My belief is that
radio stations and pod casts by people
such as Alex Jones (convicted in court
for lying on his programs) and
Joe Rogan (who has lied about
astronauts landing on the moon 🌚),
influence people to believe lies.
In my opinion, we need to root out
this type of dishonesty in our society.
I wrote my comment poorly. The President’s dismantling attempt has been permanently blocked.
This new and improved comment feature needs work. The poorly written comment of mine I refer to, did not appear. I was celebrating the permanent blocking of the president’s attempt to do away with birthright citizenship, especially as it can affect some islanders. I also mentioned that there’s no sense ignoring that the deportation of criminals is something good too.
The article quoted 70% support for trump in the Brazilian community. Did these 70% not pay attention to his promises? Did they think there would be an easy path to citizenship under his administration or did they really not believe there would be mass deportations? Or are there other factors that caused that support?
Don: I’m a white Christian and know many others on the island. I’ve never heard a single comment in the 50 years I’ve been coming here about keeping the island”white”. Not even a hint or innuendo of that attitude. It’s too bad you had to slip that dig into an otherwise good comment. You have done that before and it turns off people who might otherwise agree with you. It’s not helping to
bring people together.
Toni — I am a white recovering Christian– I think there is a more than a hint of innuendo on this island about both of those things. Of course, on the national level it is obvious given the rhetoric of our duly elected president. Many “Christian nationalist,”as well as white “nationalist” are in the process or are already in high positions in our federal government. On the island, the racism and the idea that this is a “Christian country” it is much more subtle as is any Islamophobia. But I feel it is there,lurking in the shadows. But we did have an island resident shouting at peaceful protestors at 5 corners in the summer 0f 2020 -you know what he was calling them . I also find it interesting that as of Feb 10 this year, there has not been anything about black history month in this publication. I am certainly not blaming the Times for that. It’s just an observation.. . As far as bringing people together, it may be a little late for that. But I do appreciate your heartfelt comment. Thank you.
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