Thousands Join Episcopal Church Vigil to Lament Violent Immigration Enforcement Actions

Episcopalians and faith partners gathered virtually on January 13 for an evening prayer vigil to mourn, lament and remember people who have died by immigration enforcement actions in and out of detention. The event, hosted by the Episcopal Church in Minnesota and The Episcopal Church’s public policy, partnership and witness division, drew approximately 3,700 participants online.

Minnesota Bishop Craig Loya addressed the gathering, expressing deep sorrow over recent events in the Twin Cities area. “After all the things I have seen this week in Minnesota, I am weary, I am weighed down, I am angry, and I am heartbroken,” Loya said. “For those of you who are outside of Minnesota, it is hard to overstate the magnitude of the random and reckless cruelty that we are seeing and the depth of the fear that nearly everyone is living with all the time.”

The vigil followed a series of incidents involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis. On January 7, Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident, was shot and killed in her car by an ICE officer during an altercation on a city street. The same day, Border Patrol agents entered a Minneapolis high school during dismissal, tackling, handcuffing and releasing a chemical weapon on students, faculty and bystanders.

In response, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered more officers to Minneapolis, increasing their numbers to exceed the city’s own police force. Episcopal clergy and laypeople nationwide have joined anti-ICE protests and attended prayer vigils for Good. Some have read her name in their Sunday services during the Prayers of the People.

Many are seeking guidance from Jesus’ life and teachings on how to respond as Christians to what some fear is an increasingly authoritarian and unchecked federal government. “In these days, we have felt so held by the love and the prayers of this church,” Loya said.

The vigil opened with a collective confession from Rite II of the Holy Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer, led by Rebecca Blachly, The Episcopal Church’s chief of public policy and witness, and the Rev. Lester Mackenzie, the church’s chief of mission program. Other church leaders, including Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, participated in the service.

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