Amid the Trump administration's ongoing deportation campaign in Minnesota, clergy from across the country descended upon Minneapolis to protest in solidarity and support local communities.
"Loving your neighbor means showing up," Rev. Carolina Bright, a Unitarian Universalist minister who traveled from Vermont, told Scripps News.
"It truly has been a privilege to be able to be here," Bright said. "The resilience that I've been able to bear witness to, the truth of what's happening here on the ground is devastating and it's beautiful."
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Bright was among more than 600 clergy members who responded to a call from Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing (MARCH).
In its clergy call, the group said this moment “demands that others come—to witness what is being tested here, to learn from how communities are responding, and to help bear the burden together. What is unfolding in Minneapolis will not stay here.”
"It is imperative when we see that horrible things happen we have to respond," said Rev. T. Michael Rock, who leads a congregation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Rock was a part of the MARCH steering committee that organized the massive gathering of clergy in Minneapolis just days before a border patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti.
"In this call to have all these clergy come into town was to answer the question, what can I do for you, but also something's happening here that we want to share with the world as well," Rock said.
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota has resulted in heated tension between Minnesota and the federal government. Thousands of federal officers have flooded the Twin Cities at the behest of the administration which blames state and local leaders for not cooperating with immigration enforcement.
In recent weeks, the ramped-up deportation campaign led to high profile shootings of U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, sparking widespread protests and growing calls for ICE to leave the state.
Rabbi Alexander Davis of Beth El Synagogue, whose congregation is based in Minneapolis, described the widespread impact of recent events on the community.
"The pain that's being experienced is all pervasive in all corners of the community. So you can't help as a clergy but want to. Both via pastoral support and raise your voice for justice in this time," Davis said.
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"People of faith have an obligation to step up and speak up when there are things that are happening that are not ethical and that are immoral. And when the call went out to clergy, I knew immediately that I needed to show up because I could," Bright said.
Amid the hundreds of clergy members who came to Minneapolis, nearly 100 were arrested while protesting against ICE deportations at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. They were released with citations for trespassing and disobeying police orders.
While Rock was not among those arrested he said he has the full support of his congregation to protest.
"My congregations have always kind of supported us whether it's getting arrested or being on the streets or paying attention to the community in need,” Rock said.
"We know this fight and we're in it for the long haul," he said. "This is not a temporary thing to love our neighbors. This is a commandment. And so we're following that sense of who we are as a community."
