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Bishop Julius Trimble, co-chair of United Methodist Immigration Task Force: "Lord we
ask that you would bless us this day and let our civil disobedience be a witness to the
love that you have for all of God's children."
Crowd: "Not one more! Deportation! Not one more! Deportation!"
Harriett Olson, United Methodist Women: "We're clear that the legal system right now does
not work for people in the United States and in order to make it work for businesses, people
transgress and avoid it. So, the only way it works is for people who break the law.
However, the only people who are sanctioned for breaking the law are the most vulnerable."
The Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Refugee & Immigration Ministries, Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ): "Never have there been anywhere near the number of people deported,
as is the case now unfortunately under the Obama administration -- 400,000 per year.
Soon, probably in the next three weeks, to reach the number of 2 million deportations.
That's far too many."
Bishop Minerva CarcaƱo: "We're here to demand justice. We're here to say that not one more
deportation should be occurring in this country. Two million people have been deported. Hard
working men and women, immigrant men and women. Their families have been affected. Their children
have been impacted. Our communities and even our communities of faith have also felt the
burden of that deportation process."
Herminia Gallego Lopez, Immigration advocate: (in Spanish)
(Salvador Sarmiento, Translator) "There is half a dozen of us that have been on a hunger
strike to call for the stopping of these deportations, and I have come all the way from Phoenix,
Arizona, to send this message to the president. And it's very difficult to talk about this,
to talk about the separation of our families."
Ana Bonilla,Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center: "For a really long time, I myself
questioned why was God letting this happen to my family, because I am undocumented and
my family was undocumented. My father passed away when I was seven, forcing my mom to make
the decision to come here. That was something that we couldn't change, but this unjust system
is something that we can change. Something that we can work together so that we can grow
as a nation, grow as a community, grow in faith in the Lord."
Pilar Molina, Wife of Immigrant in Detention: "The reason I'm here is because my husband,
Israel Resendiz-Hernandez, got detained by immigration on Jan. 27. He's being held in
Pike County and he's doing a hunger strike right now. I'm trying to get help with the
media, I'm trying to get him out. We have two US citizen kids that are asking me every
day where their father is. We have our own business, and I need him because it's hard
for me to be Mom and Dad at the same time."
Melissa Bowe, Justice For Our Neighbors: "It was incredible to stand with the group I was
standing with. To sing, and to have a crowd in the distance sing back. It felt incredibly
powerful."
Bishop Julius Trimble: "This was a day that needed to happen. This was a day we will not
forget."