"After school officials demanded identification and a warrant, the federal agents left. Still, the incident shook up the community of predominantly Black and Latinx residents. Mefford, a longtime activist who has served in various faith-based organizations, mobilized quickly. He reached out to clergy and community organizers with a simple ask: to gather for a prayer walk around the neighborhood to reclaim it as a site of care and connection."
"He reached out to clergy and community organizers with a simple ask: to gather for a prayer walk around the neighborhood to reclaim it as a site of care and connection. "I wasn't sure if anyone would show up on short notice, but about 25 people gathered," Mefford told NPQ. "We prayed, read poems, and made statements while walking around the neighborhood to show our solidarity.""
Communities respond to immigration enforcement with rapid, faith-based organizing that centers care, solidarity, and public presence. An immigration enforcement action near a Washington, DC elementary school prompted clergy and organizers to hold a prayer walk, bringing about 25 people to pray, read poems, and make solidarity statements. In Los Angeles and Orange County, the Godmothers of the Disappeared hold weekly vigils outside federal detention centers to pray for detained and deported people. Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) practices faith-rooted organizing inspired by civil rights legacies, combining worship, accompaniment, and public witness to support immigrant and marginalized communities.
#faith-based-organizing #immigrant-enforcement-response #community-solidarity #detention-center-vigils
Read at Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
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