CHICAGO (WLS) — A church in north suburban Palatine is under fire for a controversial sign about immigration.

The electronic sign outside New Hope Community Church reads “Heaven Has Strict Immigration Laws,” then switches to “Hell Has Open Borders.”

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Critics say it’s an attack on the country’s current immigration policy. The church’s pastor said that’s not the case, and it was meant to be a play on words.

But the sign has people stopping in their cars and on foot, questioning its meaning and the meaning of it for their village.

“Part of why we moved to Palatine was the diversity being able to show our kids that and everyone should have opportunity and love each other and seeing something like this is really upsetting,” said resident Katharine Huddleston.

“I couldn’t quite believe that that was a message going out in my community,” said resident Theresa Greinig.

Pastor James Pittman said politics have no place in his church.

“Immigration is a topic in the communities so what we’ve been doing on our sign for quite some time, is take what’s going on in the community and turn it towards heaven,” he said.

Pittman says the message intended is all in the sign.

“The immigration we were talking about is very clear in the sign: heaven and hell. And our message is very clear, the scriptures are clear, not everybody makes it to heaven,” he said.

“When you look at it driving by or when you look at it from the street, it definitely lends itself to a very different message,” said Greinig.

Greinig is now mobilizing other Palatine residents to create what she called “signs of positivity” around the church.

“The messaging that I saw today is not the face of Palatine. It’s not our community, it’s not what it means to live here,” she said.

Pittman said both he and the church have gotten backlash, including some labeling him as white supremacist. He said the perception of the message is far from what New Hope is about.

“We push one man and one man only here and that’s Jesus Christ,” he said.

Pittman said he’s open to having conversations with those who question the sign’s message. But so far, the church has no plans to change the sign.

Meanwhile, those upset by the wording say in the next few days, they plan to place their own messages of love and acceptance around the church.