Disrupting acts
People of faith marched to the Detroit headquarters of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) this week to deliver a letter demanding humane and dignified treatment of people who are being victimized by federal authorities. The security guard at the door refused the letter and slammed the door on the group lead by priests and nuns.
It does not matter if the officials read the letter. The message came through loud and clear. People are becoming increasingly moved to action by the tactics of an administration that takes joy in cruelty.
This particular march was supported by Strangers No Longer, a social justice group that educates people on the lives of immigrants in the U.S. The march included the head of the Archdiocese of Detroit, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger. His participation was supported by 25 parishes across the metro area. A smaller group of Jewish and protestant leaders joined in the procession, making a collective statement against the outrageous behavior of I.C.E agents.
They particularly singled out the disruption of families, the spread of fear among friends and neighbors. They objected to federal agents using facemasks and no identification during enforcement operations; immigration actions without a federal warrant; no communication with local police about impending operations; and arresting people who have not committed a felony.
The letter affirmed this march as a reflection of “people of deep faith who firmly believe in human dignity for all and the gospel call to 'Welcome the Stranger.'”
The group will start a weekly prayer vigil outside the Detroit immigration courthouse in the federal McNamara building on every Wednesday morning from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., starting on Aug. 6, to show support for immigrants showing up for court, where I.C.E has been increasingly active.
This action is an important escalation in shifting public support away from the draconian policies and practices flowing from the administration.
Ultimately, we the people, will decide by our actions or inactions if we will tolerate the increasingly inhuman practices central to the establishment of an authoritarian regime, ruled by a small group of people who delight in the suffering of others.
Public actions of conscience help all of us think more clearly about where we stand.
Already we are seeing the erosion of support for blatant violations of human dignity within the ranks of the military. In the horrific occupation of Los Angeles, we have a recent report in the New York Times explaining:
The level of public and private scorn appears to have taken a toll on the National Guard deployment to Los Angeles that President Trump announced last month, citing protests over immigration raids. Interviews with nearly two dozen people — including soldiers and officers as well as officials and civilians who have worked closely with the troops — show that many members of the Guard are questioning the mission. The deployment’s initial orders to quell scattered protests have given way to legally disputed assignments backing up federal immigration agents.
Soldiers are joining their national guard counterparts and openly organizing against what they fear are unlawful orders that will direct them to take up arms against their own communities. On July 4th, About Face, a veterans’ group launched a “Right to Refuse” campaign arguing that service members deserve the right to refuse unlawful or immoral orders. Founded by Iraq War veterans concerned about the immorality of that conflict, About Face has in recent years heard from service members with objections to sending weapons to Israel, dismantling DEI within the military, and especially, recently, the prospect of being pawns in Trump’s authoritarian fantasy, whether in the crackdown in Los Angeles or the military parade in Washington, D.C.
Fascism is not an abstraction. It can only come to pass if human beings carry out violent actions against others. These efforts by people of conscious disrupt the ease with which some of us participate in dehumanizing, brutal policies. The choices in front of us are stark. More and more of us are choosing to protect life and dignity. Ignorance is not possible.