Demand Immigrant Detention Centers are Closed, Fundamental Changes in Immigration Policy
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles clergy members from different faith backgrounds will hold a 24 hour continuous prayer vigil at the Los Angeles Federal Building to demand the dignified treatment of immigrants and the closure of all detention centers. This action is organized by the clergy members who earlier this month walked 106 miles from Adelanto Detention Center to Downtown Los Angeles, in a bid to raise awareness and a total of $75,000 in funding to pay detained immigrant’s bonds.
Rabbi Susan Goldberg of the Nefesh Community contextualized the prayer vigil, stating, “Jewish people understand the high stakes, and recognize the danger when vulnerable communities are scapegoated. We are being called in this moment to shine a light where enough people aren’t looking.”
Reverend Canon Jaime Edwards-Acton of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and Sacred Resistance added, “When I preach and teach, I always lift up a core Christian belief that people are not commodities. But when we look at Adelanto, a for-profit prison, owned by our federal government, where the managing company, GEO Corp is guaranteed payment for a minimum number of filled beds, we find the opposite belief written into a contract. What that means, then, is that every mercy in that place costs the company money. And every cruelty saves it money.”
Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez of CLUE adds, “When detention centers are placed 100 miles outside of LA oversight becomes more difficult, and when DHS officers harass community members observing their activity, oversight becomes more dangerous. But we refuse to look away. Grounded in prayer, we will continue to shine a light on the actions of US Attorney Bilal Essayli and other representatives of the federal administration in our city.”
The prayer vigil will run from Monday, November 2, 2026 at 10 AM to Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 10 AM. A program will take place at 10 AM on November 2nd.
About CLUE: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) educates, organizes, and mobilizes religious leaders and community members to walk with low-wage workers, immigrants, and communities of color while advocating for dignity, fair work, and healthy communities.
About Matthew 25: Matthew 25 SoCal walks with immigrant families across Southern California, offering care, compassion, and real support so they can build a better life. Inspired by the teachings of Jesus, we stand beside those facing hardship, helping meet their needs, fighting for justice, and keeping families together through faith and love. We believe every family deserves dignity, hope, and the chance to truly thrive in our community.
About Nefesh: Nefesh is an open-hearted Jewish spiritual community welcoming all of the identities that make up who we are and who we love. Born in the multicultural beauty of LA’s east side neighborhoods, Nefesh cultivates empathy, love, and justice. Nefesh is a doorway to the wisdom, ritual, and melodies of the Jewish tradition – a place to find and be found. Nefesh actively pairs with our interfaith siblings in tikkun olam: repairing the world.
About Sacred Resistance: Sacred Resistance is the social justice, solidarity, and accompaniment ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, rooted in our baptismal call to stand in resistance to the systemic evils that oppress, exploit, and marginalize any member of our human family. Our ministry is holistic in its approach and integrates pastoral presence with faith-rooted organizing and mobilization.
