Bay Area Religious Leaders Hold Interfaith Vigil Outside of ICE Office in San Francisco

Scores of Bay Area faith leaders marched and prayed as part of a vigil outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s San Francisco field office on Thursday.

The group — some of whom donned colorful robes, stoles and yarmulkes — marched roughly half a mile from an immigration courthouse on Montgomery Street to ICE’s office at 630 Sansome St.

Organizers said religious leaders have historically played important roles in leading or supporting social movements and that they hope to provide moral guidance and support at a time when they feel so many vulnerable communities are under attack.

“There are many, many groups being targeted, but immigrants are being targeted uniquely by our government,” said Rabbi Allan Berkowitz, an organizer of the event. “Camps being built by ICE to concentrate immigrants, brutal raids by ICE officers who are acting unconstitutionally … So, we feel that immigrants are at this moment particularly in need of our support and rehumanization as the government attempts to dehumanize them.”

“Many of us have been deeply distressed to see so many of our immigrant neighbors treated in such brutal ways,” said Marjorie Matthews, senior pastor of Plymouth Church in Oakland. “We believe that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. That’s a calling of so many faith traditions.”

Rev. Penny Nixon with the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort said she is painfully aware of “the atrocities being committed against so many of our neighbors.”

Two weeks ago, Nixon and her colleague went to a protest outside of Alameda’s Coast Guard station, where residents had gathered to oppose a reported influx of federal immigration officials.

“My colleague, who I went with, Rev. Jorge Bautista, he was shot in the face with a pepper ball about six feet away,” Nixon said. “They’re targeting faith leaders in a way to try to scare us and send a message that nothing is sacred.”

The group drew the attention of onlookers on foot and in their cars.

Kelly Gilliam said she was driving on her way to work when she saw four or five ministers and wondered what was happening. When she rounded the corner and saw the full group, which she estimated to number about 150, she parked her car.

“How can you pass this up, right? Gilliam said. “I have never in my life seen all different congregations coming together.”

Organizers took time to recount stories of residents who had been detained and deported in recent months and the hardship those detentions had created for family members.

Nearby, on a bus stop bench, onlooker Janice Benjio was brought to tears.

Benjio explained that she was waiting for her friend and ex-boyfriend, an immigrant from Turkey who was inside the ICE office for an annual check-in. She said she flew in from Florida to be there for him as they were both concerned about the possibility of officials detaining him.

“When I stand here, it’s like a helpless, hopeless feeling. I have no idea what will happen,” Benjio said. “I’m very moved by the people that are here to support everyone who is in a situation of immigration.”

When her friend finally exited the building, Benjio jumped with excitement, and the pair embraced.