SOUTH HADLEY — As part of a nationwide “Families Belong Together” protest planned for Saturday, members of Center Church will be hosting a vigil outside the church in support of asylum seekers, immigrants and refugees.
Like the over 600 similar demonstrations planned nationwide, organizers of the protest are demanding that families separated at the border be reunited and freed from detention. Organized by the Rev. Lori Souder and congregation members Bob Judge and Stephanie Strand, this will be the latest in a series of regular demonstrations for social justice issues outside of the church over the past year.
“We are extremely concerned that children are being used as pawns by this administration and that families are having their children snatched from them so that other people in danger will be dissuaded from seeking asylum in the United States,” Strand said. “We need to have those children reunited with their families immediately, and for our country to pursue just policies when dealing with those seeking asylum because their lives are threatened.”
More than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents after crossing the border since early May, according to numbers from the Department of Homeland Security. Area politicians like Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, have decried the Trump administration’s policies, with McGovern going as far as to say the government should abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE.
“Not everyone feels comfortable going into a different community to join a march or vigil — and some people can’t travel even that far without inconvenience — so we feel it’s important to offer an opportunity to be involved right by our own town common,” Strand said.
The church group is also advocating for compassionate policies toward legal and undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S., undocumented veterans, and for “DREAMers.”
“I am compelled to participate in this vigil because it is a spiritual matter,” Souder said. “Extending hospitality to the stranger is at the core of our Judeo-Christian beliefs. Last Sunday I preached on how in the Qu’ran, Hinduism, Judaism, Budhism, and Christianity they all have at their core, Do no harm. As citizens we are doing harm by not addressing the issue.”
From 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning, churchgoers and community members will stand outside the church with signs in support of the cause. All are welcome to attend, signs will be provided, or attendees can make and bring their own signs.
National organizers behind the Families Belong Together day of protest are the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the ACLU, the Women’s March, and MoveOn, according to the event’s website, in addition to over 100 other participating organizations.
Sarah Robertson can be reached at srobertson@gazettenet.com.