DALLAS — Faith leaders from across the Dallas area gathered Friday at Kessler Park United Methodist Church to condemn federal immigration enforcement actions nationwide and plans for a new ICE detention facility in Hutchins, about 12 miles south of downtown Dallas.
The event was organized by the Clergy League for Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR), which has supported immigrant communities in Dallas since last spring and regularly holds prayer vigils outside the Dallas ICE field office. Rev. Eric Folkerth, lead pastor at Kessler Park UMC, said the group’s opposition is a moral imperative.
“Over the months, we have seen a disturbingly harsh treatment of migrants,” Folkerth said. “We decry violence of any form. We believe in the rule of law as faith leaders.”
The Dallas gathering coincided with a multi-faith service in Minneapolis, which drew hundreds of attendees to support immigrant communities and protest ICE. Minneapolis has seen heightened enforcement activity over the past month, including arrests, allegations of fraud targeting Somali immigrants, and the killing of Renee Good.
The faith leaders also highlighted plans for a large ICE detention facility in Hutchins. A Washington Post investigation reported that the proposed warehouse would be converted into the nation’s second-largest detention center, part of a network of seven large-scale centers intended to expedite deportations through proximity to major logistical hubs.