Prayers were mixed with calls to action Wednesday night during an Elgin interfaith candlelight vigil held in response to what community leaders say have been “inhumane” ICE raids using military-style vehicles and a helicopter.
“We gather in prayer in unity and in love for our immigrant community,” said Amairani Jarvis, a community organizer for Centro de Información in Elgin. “We also gather in strength because while our people are being targeted because of the color of their skin, our culture and even the language we speak, we are not standing by quietly but we are rising together.”
Centro de Información and Elgin Cooperative Ministry organized the event at First Presbyterian Church of Elgin, which was attended by about 100 people.
Reports of agents for the U.S. Immgration and Customs Enforcement carrying out detention raids in Chicago, Elgin and other Chicago suburbs stem from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which started earlier this month.
Among the homes targeted in Elgin was one on Chippewa Drive in which five people were taken into custody early Monday morning. Two of them were later identified as U.S. citizens and released.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was on the scene and appeared in a video of the raid.
“We gather this afternoon across traditions, across faiths, across cultures and across languages because our hearts are heavy,” said the Rev. Thea Kornelius, pastor of First Presbyterian Church. “We come to lament, but we also come to stand in solidarity and to commit ourselves to love and justice.”
Rafael Villagomez, a deacon for St. Joseph Catholic Church, said the immigration raids have left many people afraid. “But we are confident that (God) will protect us and walk with us,” said Villagomez, who gave the opening prayer in Spanish.
“We give you thanks for uniting us as a community. In that union we find strength, support and value. Help us remember that together we are stronger and in (God’s) love we can find peace that the world cannot give us,” Villagomez said.
Other speakers included Rabbi Margaret Klein of the Congregation Kneseth Israel, the Rev. Felicia LaBoy of First United Methodist Church, and State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin.
Klein cited an Old Testament passage from Leviticus, which states, “When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The strangers, or the sojourners, who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens. You shall love each one as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am your God.”
In other words, “it’s simple. Love your neighbor. Love all of your neighbors as you love yourself,” she said.
Moeller shared a similar message.
“This is more than about immigration. It’s about who we are as a people,” she said. “I believe we are a people who chose justice, who chose humanity, who chose hope. As a person of faith, I remember what scripture tells us. To love one another, to welcome a stranger.
“These raids betray those teachings, but we will stay true to them. So, let’s continue to stand together. Let’s continue to support one another. Let’s face the future as one community united, not in fear but in love, in dignity and in hope.”
While the vigil was filled with prayers, there was also condemnation of ICE’s tactics and calls for action.
More Top Picks Best Tablets For Note Taking For Students
State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, said her office “stands firmly against the inhumane federal operations targeting the Elgin community this week. … These tactics create real fear in our neighborhoods.”
Every family, regardless of their status, has the fundamental right to live peacefully, to work with dignity, to educate their children and to contribute to the community they call home, Castro said.
“Intimidation and fear aimed at our Latino community and immigrant neighbors are not welcome here,” she said. “We are a community that stands united together and takes care of one another.”
Castro said she is demanding answers about the raid as she continues to work with local groups like the Elgin Area Rapid Response Team, Centro de Información, YWCA and the Elgin Area Immigration Alliance to help make sure people know their rights and have access to resources, she said.
“This is not a time for words alone. It is a time for action to protect our neighbors,” Castro said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.