UCC clergy members among those arrested at “Pray with Your Feet Day of Action: ICE Out of Our Communities”

United Church of Christ clergy and many others sat peacefully inside the Hart Senate Building Atrium of the U.S. Capitol office complex as an act of moral witness on Thursday, January 29, as part of “Pray with Your Feet Day of Action: ICE Out of Our Communities.” During that act of civil disobedience, the Rev. Michael Neuroth, Director of the United Church of Christ Washington, D.C. Office of Public Policy and Advocacy was among those arrested, along with Bishop Dwayne Royster, Executive Director of Faith in Action.

More than 500 people from across the country gathered to demand the Senate say no to any funding to the Department of Homeland Security in a bill that would support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The event was born from an interfaith prayer call earlier in the week in support of Minneapolis and all those being terrorized by ICE. The call had more than 10,000 participants. Participants heard from UCC General Minister and President/CEO the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, Bishop Royster, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, and many others. You can view the full livestream HERE.

The day opened with an interfaith prayer service held at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill in a standing-room-only sanctuary. The service included a communal prayer and song centered on moral opposition to ICE, grounding the day of action in spiritual practice. The service was livestreamed through Faith in Action. Speakers emphasized immigration enforcement as a moral issue and called on Congress to reject any budget or legislation that expands ICE funding. 

The UCC’s Associate General Minister Rev. Shari Prestemon spoke on the importance of moral courage, urging lawmakers and faith communities to act boldly in defense of immigrant dignity. “Do justice and love kindness and grow a spine,” she encouraged those gathered. “Have a sense of moral outrage and moral courage that will not be stopped by any evil empire, but that will stay in the streets, will speak loud, will speak with wisdom, will speak with fire. As you go into those offices today, show your faith and show your spine.”

Prestemon said it was important to be there. “Our churches and faith leaders in Minnesota are offering such an inspiring, bold example to us all, showing up every day in their streets to call for justice and offer generous care to their neighbors. It was important for faith leaders and organizers from around the country to do our part by going to Capitol Hill and speaking truth directly to power. We declared our collective, determined commitment to love our neighbors, and told those who have the power to stop this that not one more dollar should support the violence and terror ICE is raining down on Minneapolis and communities across the country.”

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Senator Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland attended the prayer service and spoke to the crowd, offering support in response to the faith leaders’ call. “Today, powerful faith leaders took action in the halls of the U.S. Senate,” Faith in Action said in a statement. It also said that ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, had been “terrorizing” communities.

Following the morning service, advocates conducted scheduled meetings with U.S. senators or their staff members. Delegations shared personal stories, theological perspectives, and policy concerns, asking for commitment to oppose any legislation or budget package that increases ICE funding. 

Prestemon met with members of the offices of both senators from Ohio, Senator Bernie Moreno and Senator Jon Husted, conveying the UCC’s stance against increased ICE funding, as well as its core commitment to welcoming immigrants and affirming the inherent dignity and worth of every person. 

Prestemon shared, “We are at an inflection point, where every person of faith in every community must bravely resist what we know bears no resemblance to the world God intends for all of us. We need to have the backs of those doing so much in Minnesota to counter hate and death, and add our own voices and our labors to this movement of mercy, love, and justice. This is the clear call of our faith in this very critical moment, to act with prophetic courage.”

Toward the end of the day, during the peaceful protest in the Senate office complex, seated clergy sang in Spanish “No están solos, juntos hacemos la liberación.” (“You are not alone, we will build liberation together.”) The song and presence were intended to express solidarity with immigrant communities harmed by ICE activity and to urge Congress to reject any legislation that would provide additional funding to ICE. 

 A United States Capitol Police spokesperson said it is against the law to demonstrate inside congressional buildings, and 54 demonstrators were arrested, including the UCC’s Neuroth. He said, “This is a moment that demands moral courage from faith communities. We are called to use our collective power to confront the lawlessness and cruelty of ICE. We proclaim that Love Knows No Borders, and we refuse to be silent in the face of suffering inflicted on our neighbors. In recent weeks, UCC advocates sent nearly 10,000 messages to Congress, calling for an end to new funding for ICE. Through this sacred act of civil disobedience, I hoped to help elevate the moral urgency of the moment and to lift the demands of our community.” 

Following the Day of Action, UCC members gathered for a reflective talk and sharing time to unpack the experience through fellowship, conversation, and prayer. Participants heard directly from UCC leaders in Minnesota about the on-the-ground impacts of ICE activity in Minneapolis, along with guidance on meaningful next steps.  

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