A national peace organization plans to hold silent prayer rallies this weekend to protest immigration raids taking place across the country.
Silent public witness at Atlanta ICE field office
The American Friends Service Committee and Atlanta Friends will gather at 2 p.m. Saturday outside the Atlanta ICE field office for one hour of what they describe as silent public witness. The group says the event is part of a coordinated nationwide response to recent federal actions in multiple communities.
Prayer service to ‘bear silent public witness to the injustice’
Jacob Flowers, regional director for the American Friends Service Committee, said his organization has been committed to human rights for more than a century.
“The American Friends Service Committee is a global organization committed to human rights. We’ve been working since 1917,” Flowers said.
He told FOX 5 the rallies are meant to push back on federal immigration raids and show support for immigrant families.
“What we see going on in our community with immigrants is unacceptable,” Flowers said.
“On Saturday, we’re coming out to the localized field office to bear silent public witness to the injustice that we see going on with our immigrant neighbors, brothers, sisters, co workers because of the actions of the Trump Administration,” he said.
Flowers added that the group chose the ICE office in Atlanta because of the ongoing enforcement actions taking place across the nation.
“We want to be able to go there to pray silently, pray that this ends and really show love is an action towards hate,” Flowers said.
He said similar events will be held in several major cities.
“We’ll be in solidarity here in Atlanta with other public worships happening in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and even in the Midwest in Des Moines, Iowa. All of those places, for one hour on Saturday, coming together in silent worship to say what we see happening to our immigrant neighbors, is wrong,” Flowers said.
‘ICE is doing a public safety mission’
Federal officials have defended their recent operations. In a separate interview, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said agents are focused on public safety.
“ICE is doing a public safety mission, and these are the people that people should want out of their neighborhoods,” Lyons said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that position.
“So, these operations are based on where we have a criminal element to our illegal alien population that’s in the country and what we can do to get them off of our streets and protect our children and people,” Noem said.
FOX 5 reached out to the Atlanta ICE office for a statement. Officials said one would be provided, but none had been received as of Thursday. ICE is aware of Saturday’s rally.
