It’s 8 a.m. on a chilly Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C., and a crowd is already waiting outside the doors of Capitol Hill UMC for a service that won’t begin for another 90 minutes. Before long, overflow attendees are redirected to nearby Ebeneezer UMC and then to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, another block away.
When ILJ Network joined several Methodist agencies to begin planning this Public Witness event, many of our partners estimated an attendance of about 200 people. Instead, more than 2,000 clergy, laity, and faith-based activists from across the country answered the call to faithfully resist.
They came to pray. They came to march in solidarity with our immigrant communities. They came to urge members of Congress to stop funding the cruel and violent persecution of immigrants, the raids that separate parents from children, and to keep ICE and Border Patrol agents out of our Houses of Worship, schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations.
“It was inspiring to see so many people gathered together for immigrant justice,” says ILJ Network Co-Executive Director Alba Jaramillo, pictured here. “But the turnout did not completely surprise us. We have been experiencing a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support from people throughout the United States.”
ILJ Network Co-Executive Directors Alba Jaramillo and Melissa Bowe met up with two staff members from Just Neighbors, our ILJ affiliate serving Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Pictured on the far left is Rural Programs Office Manager Heather Gomez; Senior Staff Attorney Julia Birk is pictured second from the right.
“We will no longer stand on the side of complicity or injustice.”
Bishop LaTrelle M. Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington / Delaware Episcopal Area delivered a fiery, passionate, and redemptive sermon at Capitol Hill UMC last Wednesday, bringing congregants to their feet with applause and shouts of joy. Please click the photo below or this link to hear her powerful words in their entirety.
Marching for Justice
United Methodist News Reporter Lilla Marigza spoke with some of the participants to learn what had led them to come to Washington and what they hoped to carry back with them when they return to their home congregations.
At the end of the march, ILJ Network staff members gathered with the crowd at Senate Park, just north of the Capitol. We were welcomed by retired Bishop Minerva Carcaño, chair of the United Methodist Immigration Task Force, and other faith leaders.
U.S. Representatives Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), and Delia Ramirez (IL-03) were also on hand to share their experiences as champions for immigrant rights and to encourage all participants as we prepared to meet with our own members of Congress.
Taking Our Message to the Halls of Congress
Walking through the cavernous halls and stepping into the offices of powerful men and women to voice your beliefs can be daunting. But there is strength—and courage— to be found in numbers. On this particular day, if you looked down almost any hallway in the Senate and House office buildings, you could see clusters of clergy and other Faithful Resisters. Their presence made it easier to speak up and make the hard asks.
Pastor Matt Landry of Castleton UMC in Indianapolis is a seasoned advocate. He brought members of his congregation to Washington with specific asks in mind.
“We asked [our representatives] to seek due process, pursue transparency, demand accountability, craft policies rooted in compassion and justice, and ensure the health and well-being of every detainee while they are held in custody,” states Pastor Matt.
“We also asked them to call for a Congressional inquiry into the death of 59-year-old Lorth Sim, who died in ICE custody at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, where 454 ICE detainees are being held at the state prison.”
Although Pastor Matt acknowledges the enormity of the task of effecting change amid the complexities of Washington politics —and now with an undeclared war in the Middle East—he remains convinced of the power of constituents lobbying their elected leaders.
“We have an opportunity to reshape the narrative and influence not only the way we view immigrants and refugees, but we can also help shape police and directly affect the lives of our neighbors,” he explains. “I encourage people to email or call, or if they are able to meet one-on-one with staffers or local lawmakers.
“I tell people you don’t have to have all the answers; simply share your stories and your concerns from your faith perspective.”
Main Office: Annandale, Virginia Serving Northern Virginia, with clinics in Staunton and on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and the Baltimore-Washington D.C. corridor
Main Office: Annandale, Virginia Serving Northern Virginia, with clinics in Staunton and on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and the Baltimore-Washington D.C. corridor
Main Office: Omaha, Nebraska Serving throughout Nebraska and Western Iowa, including Council Bluffs, Crete, Grand Island, Lexington, Nebraska City, Omaha, Scottsbluff, and South Sioux City
Main Office: Annandale, Virginia Serving Northern Virginia, with clinics in Staunton and on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and the Baltimore-Washington D.C. corridor
Main Office: Des Moines, Iowa Serving the state of Iowa, with monthly clinics held in Cedar Rapids, Columbus Junction, Decorah, Des Moines, Marshalltown, Ottumwa, and Storm Lake
