'All faiths stand for human dignity': South Florida religious groups unite against immigration enforcement abuses
By Jimena Romero
January 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM EST
Immigration is an issue that’s both dividing and uniting South Florida’s religious communities. Within Christianity, for once, worshipers are divided over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.
But across faith lines, leaders are working together to defend the rights of immigrants.
Local Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders — along with members of their respective congregations — come together routinely outside of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in South Florida. Whether it’s in an organized vigil or a religious service, the objective is to pray over the immigrants detained inside, support their family members and call attention to abuses in the immigration system.
"There is a lack of compassion, a lack of empathy, lack of love. I do not understand why people, besides politics, [are] not able to understand the suffering of the people."
“ The problem that we talk with interfaith leaders [about] is that we are breaking the tradition of this country, of accepting exiles — accepting people who have been persecuted,” said Father Federico Capdepón of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami.
“That has been a tradition for 200 years here in this country. We are breaking that tradition and in those policies that we are facing there is a lack of compassion, a lack of empathy, lack of love.”
Father Capdepón — who has led groups to stand outside Alligator Alcatraz, the ICE facility in Miramar and Krome Detention Center — said they bring coffee and water for family members and take their contact information in case they need support from paralegals.
READ MORE: Florida Catholic Bishops call for moratorium on immigration enforcement during Christmas holidays
Within his congregation, Capdepón has witnessed division regarding the ongoing crackdown on immigration. He has spoken with other pastors and bishops in the state about the need to be more outspoken on behalf of immigrants, he told WLRN.
“All the faiths stand for human rights, for human values, for human dignity, and this shouldn't be negotiable… because that dignity was given by God to all human beings."
“[From] my perspective, it’s a little frustrating,” Capdepón said. “I do not understand why people, besides politics, [are] not able to understand the suffering of the people, the suffering of a mother being removed or being deported. The children left behind. ”
The religious director and Imam at the Islamic Center for Greater Miami in Miami Gardens, Abdul Hamir Samra, was recently at the ICE facility in Miramar for a vigil organized as part of the national One Church, One Family movement.
“When we see families separated, when we see neighbors living in the shadow of fear... We are having oppression, injustice,” Imam Samra said during his speech at the vigil. “Our tradition teaches us that when we see an injustice, we must change it with our [own] hands.”
While it was the first time Imam Samra participated in a vigil like this one, he said he had been unhappy with what was going on with immigration enforcement efforts in the community.
"Yes, [immigration] laws need to be followed, but everyone, whether they are on the legal side of the law or across the border... are entitled to human protections and to be treated as a human being."
“All the faiths, they all stand for human rights, for human values, for human dignity, and this shouldn't be negotiable… because that dignity was given by God to all human beings,” he told WLRN. “ We need to protect this dignity of our human fellows.”
In Boca Raton, Rabbi Greg Weisman of Temple Beth El has organized other interfaith vigils to protect the dignity of immigrants.
“Yes, our country has immigration laws, and yes, those laws need to be followed, but everyone, whether they are on the legal side of the law or across the border, even they, and especially they, are entitled to human protections and to be treated as a human being,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, announced this month it had deported more than 605,000 undocumented immigrants since Trump took office last January. And that 1.9 million people had voluntarily "self-deported."
Trump administration officials claim that 70% of undocumented immigrants arrested are "criminal aliens" — meaning they have been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.
But across faith lines, leaders are working together to defend the rights of immigrants.
Local Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders — along with members of their respective congregations — come together routinely outside of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in South Florida. Whether it’s in an organized vigil or a religious service, the objective is to pray over the immigrants detained inside, support their family members and call attention to abuses in the immigration system.
"There is a lack of compassion, a lack of empathy, lack of love. I do not understand why people, besides politics, [are] not able to understand the suffering of the people."
“ The problem that we talk with interfaith leaders [about] is that we are breaking the tradition of this country, of accepting exiles — accepting people who have been persecuted,” said Father Federico Capdepón of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami.
“That has been a tradition for 200 years here in this country. We are breaking that tradition and in those policies that we are facing there is a lack of compassion, a lack of empathy, lack of love.”
Father Capdepón — who has led groups to stand outside Alligator Alcatraz, the ICE facility in Miramar and Krome Detention Center — said they bring coffee and water for family members and take their contact information in case they need support from paralegals.
READ MORE: Florida Catholic Bishops call for moratorium on immigration enforcement during Christmas holidays
Within his congregation, Capdepón has witnessed division regarding the ongoing crackdown on immigration. He has spoken with other pastors and bishops in the state about the need to be more outspoken on behalf of immigrants, he told WLRN.
“All the faiths stand for human rights, for human values, for human dignity, and this shouldn't be negotiable… because that dignity was given by God to all human beings."
“[From] my perspective, it’s a little frustrating,” Capdepón said. “I do not understand why people, besides politics, [are] not able to understand the suffering of the people, the suffering of a mother being removed or being deported. The children left behind. ”
The religious director and Imam at the Islamic Center for Greater Miami in Miami Gardens, Abdul Hamir Samra, was recently at the ICE facility in Miramar for a vigil organized as part of the national One Church, One Family movement.
“When we see families separated, when we see neighbors living in the shadow of fear... We are having oppression, injustice,” Imam Samra said during his speech at the vigil. “Our tradition teaches us that when we see an injustice, we must change it with our [own] hands.”
While it was the first time Imam Samra participated in a vigil like this one, he said he had been unhappy with what was going on with immigration enforcement efforts in the community.
"Yes, [immigration] laws need to be followed, but everyone, whether they are on the legal side of the law or across the border... are entitled to human protections and to be treated as a human being."
“All the faiths, they all stand for human rights, for human values, for human dignity, and this shouldn't be negotiable… because that dignity was given by God to all human beings,” he told WLRN. “ We need to protect this dignity of our human fellows.”
In Boca Raton, Rabbi Greg Weisman of Temple Beth El has organized other interfaith vigils to protect the dignity of immigrants.
“Yes, our country has immigration laws, and yes, those laws need to be followed, but everyone, whether they are on the legal side of the law or across the border, even they, and especially they, are entitled to human protections and to be treated as a human being,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, announced this month it had deported more than 605,000 undocumented immigrants since Trump took office last January. And that 1.9 million people had voluntarily "self-deported."
Trump administration officials claim that 70% of undocumented immigrants arrested are "criminal aliens" — meaning they have been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.