Following a display of faith and solidarity, the Miramar Circle of Protection and its partners this week renewed their call for compassionate federal immigration policies, urging elected officials to prioritize dignity and justice for families impacted by ongoing enforcement crackdowns.
The activists held a vigil and protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Miramar on Wednesday, bringing together Catholics and interfaith leaders who prayed for those immigrants currently facing detention and deportation.
It's part of a nationwide effort by Catholic organizations that are taking part in a campaign called One Church, One Family: Catholic Public Witness for Immigrants. The movement urges parishes, schools, and faith-based groups to host prayerful public events to promote the dignity of every person.
The Miramar event — promoting solidarity with migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees — links the South Florida effort with the broader nationwide movement of faith communities.
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"We are here today to lift the human dignity of all immigrants and their families. All families are sacred," said Ellie Hidalgo of Discerning Deacons, a North Carolina-based group of Catholic activists who advocates for female deacons.
Silvia Muñoz, of the Pedro Arrupe Jesuit Institute, called the federal government's aggressive immigration enforcement actions "cruel and inhumane."
Guadalupe De La Cruz, Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee in Florida, linked faith to their public advocacy.
“As people of faith and conscience, we cannot stay silent while families are torn apart and communities live in fear,” De La Cruz said. “Our presence at Miramar is a sign of love and resistance, a reminder that dignity, compassion, and justice must guide how this country treats those who seek safety and a better life.”
The Miramar Circle of Protection holds weekly visits and vigils at the ICE facility to accompany immigrants during ICE check-ins.
President Donald Trump’s administration has undertaken sweeping ICE operations as part of a mass deportation agenda since taking office last January.
He campaigned last year on a promise to deport millions of immigrants working in the U.S. illegally. He has said he is focusing deportation efforts on “dangerous criminals,” but most people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions. At the same time, the number of illegal border crossings has plunged under his policies.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
