(WXYZ) — Church leaders are joining dozens of community members in a march from the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church to the ICE Regional Field Office and then to the federal court in Downtown Detroit.
The march is organized by Strangers No Longer, which is a group of Catholics who form what they call "circles of support" in parishes, high schools and immigrant communities to help support immigrants.
Before the march, Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger spoke to 7 News Detroit about the march.
"I have oftentimes throughout life found myself in a position to be able to advocate for immigrants and migrants, We forget that the vast majority of such people are forced into their situation," Weisenburger said. "Immigrants and migrants are a suffering people, and because we recognize Christ and the dignity of our God in every human being, our goal today is to give a voice to those who have no voice."
You can hear more from Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger and Father David Buersmeyer in the video below
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Organizers said it's a non-political march, and Weisenburger said they're motivated by their beliefs that flow through the gospel of Jesus Christ, "which is that every human being is of dignity and every human life is of worth."
Father David Buersmeyer, the Ombudsman for the Office of the Archbishop and chaplain for Strangers No Longer, reminded people that this isn't a political protest, it's a pro-solidarity with immigrants who have found their lives disrupted.
"We can do this in a way that can respect the laws, but can find a way that isn't so disruptive and it doesn't need to create such fear and chaos amongst certain of the people," Buersmeyer said.
Strangers No Longer is also planning to deliver a letter requesting a meeting with the ICE field office director in Detroit.
"I want them to take the message that our immigrant brothers and sisters, documented or undocumented, are a gift to this city, to this area, to this nation," Buersmeyer said. "We need to find ways to implement the laws we have, but we have to do it in a way that respects their human dignity, that allows them access to due process, that doesn't separate children from parents, that doesn't immediately think, well, let's deport as the initial solution, that would also just respect them as human beings."
We have reached out to ICE for comment.
