More than a dozen Palo Alto clergy and people of faith joined with over 100 other bay area faith leaders on December 16th as part of Love Calls Us, a multifaith nonviolent vigil and direct action at the San Francisco Federal Immigration Court and regional ICE office at 630 Sansome Street. Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice Steering Committee members, including Rev. Dr. Diana Gibson (MVPJ convener), Rev. Tom Harris (First Presbyterian Church Palo Alto pastor) and Leif Erickson (First Presbyterian Church ruling elder), were part of a human chain that successfully blocked entrances, shutting down the building for one day in peaceful protest of the ongoing illegal, discriminatory and brutal acts against local immigrants. Federal Department of Homeland Security agents arrested these 44 protestors who had actively blocked the building doors (including Gibson, Harris and Erickson). All those arrested were cited and will be arraigned in court at a later date.

Fellow MVPJ steering committee members Rabbi Amy Eilberg and Jonathan Cantu (Quaker) rallied in support, along with dozens of others, including at least ten Palo Alto clergy and laity, speaking, singing, praying, witnessing and playing music to show their backing for the group action.

This song by Leah Galyean Martens, written specifically for this event, testifies to why we were there:

God does not leave anyone alone,
so we will not leave anyone alone.
We’re called to protect our neighbors.
We’re here to protect our neighbors.
If you come for them,
you’ll have to go through us.

Love does not leave anyone alone…
Faith does not leave anyone alone…

Rabbi Eilberg from MVPJ described her experience, “I stood in the middle of Sansome Street, not risking arrest as my brave colleagues did. Yet the four hours I spent singing, praying and protesting at the ICE office with fellow clergy and community members, I felt deeply that my whole body was praying. It was a sacred time, exemplifying the teaching of the prophet, ‘What does God require of you?  Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.’  (Micah 6:8).”

Jonathan Cantu of Palo Alto Friends Meeting and also on the MVPJ leadership team reflected that “scripture teaches us that we are to show our faith by our works, and faith without works is dead. On December 16th, our community showed our faith by standing up for our vulnerable neighbors and disrupting an unjust and oppressive system.”

Large banners on display at each door read:
“Our faiths teach us LOVE THY NEIGHBOR and Disrupt Injustice” and
“People of faith choose love over cruelty.”

Rev. Gibson said, “The morning was filled with beautiful songs, prayers, testimonies and art. While our reasons for being there were and are ones of pain and injustice and cruelty, the time together overflowed with love, determination, hope and power.”

“This 630 Sansome building is not only a federal courthouse, it is the regional headquarters for ICE that oversees operations from Oregon to Bakersfield,” Gibson explained. “It also is where ICE holds immigrants in unsafe and likely unconstitutional conditions.

Our goal was not to be arrested, our goal was to shut down the courthouse for one day, thus preventing (or at least delaying) the nightmare detainment of who knows how many immigrants who are simply showing up for their legally required hearing. AND WE SUCCEEDED!”

630 Samsone St is also where ICE holds immigrants in unsafe and likely unconstitutional conditions. As explained on this ACLU website, in November of this year, a federal court found “that ICE ‘routinely’ holds people in cells at 630 Sansome for over 12 hours, and that some are held over 72 hours. The court described numerous conditions at the facility as likely unconstitutional, including ICE’s ‘denial of beds or mattresses, continuous lighting, and maintenance of frigid temperatures without providing blankets,’ the facility’s ‘unsanitary conditions and denial of basic hygiene resources,’ and ICE’s failure to provide medical intake or prescription medication and failure ‘to consider requests for medical attention that are not made in English.'” The court order required that ICE take immediate steps to remedy these conditions, though it is not clear that those orders have been met.

The action was organized by the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity with participation by faith leaders of diverse traditions around the bay area.

Street mural painted by participants during the action.

First and last photo by Craig Wiesner. “Love over Cruelty” blue banner photo by Rev. Kristin Young. “Closed” photo by Gibson. All used with permission.