Faith Leaders Keep Up Pressure With Weekly Prayer Vigils Outside ICE in Dallas

For over a year, a small but determined group of interfaith leaders and volunteers have gathered every Monday morning outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Dallas. The Clergy League for Emergency Action and Response DFW (CLEAR) formed in May 2025 to respond to escalating immigration enforcement abuses in North Texas and nationwide.

Positioned between a concrete barrier and the busy Stemmons Freeway frontage road, these prayer vigils serve multiple purposes: offering spiritual support to migrants and ICE agents alike, drawing public attention to the harsh realities of immigration enforcement, and standing as a visible act of solidarity with those affected.

The vigils began amid reports of inhumane conditions and aggressive tactics at ICE facilities. Their urgency intensified after a deadly sniper attack in September 2025, where three detained immigrants were shot—two fatally—while no ICE personnel were harmed. Since then, security has tightened, barring clergy from accompanying migrants to the building entrance.

Despite these obstacles, CLEAR volunteers persist. They coordinate with groups like La Colectiva, which assists migrants before and after their appointments and supports families of detainees. Members also serve as immigration court observers, monitoring the justice system that too often fails these vulnerable individuals.

Rabbi Nancy Kasten, one of CLEAR’s founders, emphasizes the faith foundation driving their work: the belief in essential human dignity and the biblical mandate to "love the immigrant"—a term she explains refers broadly to anyone living outside their native community. Their prayers call for compassion not only for migrants and their families but also for ICE agents, underscoring a commitment to universal humanity.

The vigils, marked by colorful signs bearing messages like “love your neighbor,” have become a weekly beacon of resistance against the Trump administration’s expanding deportations and harsh immigration policies. As deportations surged last year, the group noticed a chilling pattern: many migrants who entered the ICE office for check-ins simply did not come out.

In the face of intimidation—from revving engines to hostile passersby—these faith leaders remain steadfast. Their weekly gatherings are more than symbolic gestures; they are acts of defiance against a system that dehumanizes migrants and perpetuates suffering.

This ongoing vigil in Dallas is part of a broader national movement of clergy and activists standing up to ICE’s abuses, demanding accountability, transparency, and respect for human rights. As the Trump administration doubles down on aggressive immigration enforcement, these prayerful protests serve as a crucial reminder that dignity and justice must not be sacrificed in the name of border control.

The fight for humane immigration policies continues, and these faith leaders are on the front lines, praying, protesting, and holding the powerful to account every single week.