Alexandria faith leaders will gather Tuesday evening for a prayer vigil expressing solidarity with the city’s immigrant community amid what organizers describe as increased federal immigration enforcement activity in the area.
The interfaith vigil is scheduled for 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Four Mile Run Park Plaza, located at 4121 Mt. Vernon Avenue. The event is being organized by Tenants and Workers United, Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), and Community Lodgings.
According to organizers, the vigil comes in response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Alexandria, including what they describe as arrests of construction workers during the first day of school, detention of a community member at a bus stop, and continued ICE presence in the Chirilagua neighborhood.
“All of our faith traditions call us to love and stand with our neighbors,” said Reverend Deborah Porras, Pastor of Beverley Hills Community UMC and VOICE Clergy Leader. “In Alexandria today, that must include our immigrant neighbors, who face particular threats and injustices. This vigil is our chance to stand together across faiths and demonstrate the power of love, community, and relationships.”
The event aims to bring together people of all faiths in what organizers call a show of support for immigrant families. Attendees are encouraged to wear white and blue.
Ingris Moran, Lead Organizer with Tenants and Workers United, said the vigil represents a response to current federal immigration policies. “In this moment when our immigrant community is facing anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies by a hostile administration, we’re coming together to express our unwavering support for our immigrant neighbors,” Moran said.
The organizing groups are calling on faith leaders, elected officials, and community organizations to participate in what they describe as protection and advocacy efforts for immigrant families in Alexandria.
Tenants and Workers United describes itself as an organization that builds power in low-income, immigrant communities of color to improve quality of life in Northern Virginia. The organization’s executive director, Evelin Urrutia, was among those who spoke out against the August arrests of 15 construction workers at Eaton Square Apartments.
The vigil is open to the public and scheduled to run for one hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday.
