Miguel Castilleja Escobar

  On August 8 I participated in a protest and action at 26 Federal Plaza , where immigrants are still being detained. New York Congressional leaders have been repeatedly denied access to inspect the facility in violation of their statutory authority under the 2019 DHS Appropriations Act , and on that day the clergy gathered were also denied access by DHS . The organizers of this action noted, " Court Watch volunteers witness daily how individuals, including high school students and working parents, are suddenly seized by ICE agents , often before their hearings conclude, and transported into this improvised holding area. Many are stripped of their constitutional due‑process rights , disappeared for days in near-total secrecy." 

Empathy is under attack in so many ways today, yet compassion for the stranger and the most vulnerable is at the heart of what it means to follow Christ. Yesterday I joined Rural & Migrant Ministry . on the first leg of their thousand-mile caravan calling for empathy and humanity for migrants. We traveled to Bridgehampton, Riverhead, Southold, and Orient, linking nonprofits, building energy, and drawing more people into the journey as the day went on. It was powerful to witness that momentum and to stand alongside friends and colleagues in this work. I am proud to serve on the RMM board as they continue their seven-day journey.