Last month, thousands of Rhode Islanders gathered at the State House in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As protests continue, some religious leaders have taken on a distinct role in advocacy efforts.
Faith leaders “have a unique ability to speak to a moral issue, and we have the responsibility to do so,” said Preston Neimeiser, a rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Providence. “We can provide the language of faith as a comprehensive articulation of what God wants from us in this moment and what we owe to one another.”
Across the country, religious leaders have been protesting actions taken by ICE, filing lawsuits over access to immigration detainees and speaking out against detentions on religious property. In November, Pope Leo XIV and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned aspects of the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.
The Herald spoke with three religious leaders to discuss how they are responding to recent ICE activity in the state.
Neimesier described efforts to create a “shared language around what faith communities believe is moral,” he said. He believes it is important for faith leaders to attend rallies, actions and vigils “with the intention of providing not only the moral grounding for the moment, but also a set of trained eyes to be observers, to deliver pastoral care.”
“We want to make sure that here in Rhode Island, we’re very loudly and proudly declaring what we believe is the essence of the state’s founding of religious freedom and tolerance,” he added.
“We have a really clear gospel mandate to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors as ourselves,” Jeremy Langill, executive minister for the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, told The Herald. “That means that when we show up for people, that we’re showing up rooted in love, rooted in compassion and seeking conversation and understanding,” he added.
Following recent immigration enforcement actions across Rhode Island, the council has been holding “Know Your Rights” trainings across the state. It is also advocating for immigration protections, remote immigration hearings and the 364 bill — legislation that aims to reduce prison sentences for misdemeanors from up to one year to 364 days, a step that would protect immigrants from facing deportation.
“I can’t tell you the number of U.S. citizens who are just afraid to leave, walk down the street because they don’t want to be stopped,” Langill said. He noted that ICE has not only detained immigrants without proper documentation, but also U.S. citizens.
The White House and ICE did not respond to The Herald’s request for comment.
Reverend T.J. DeMarco, a pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church, wrote in an email to The Herald that he has attended meetings with the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.
DeMarco believes it is important for faith leaders to “pay attention, to learn and to build relationships” with members of other faith groups and communities to help support people across the state.
“Right now, it is important for us to get to know each other,” DeMarco wrote. He hopes to continue supporting his community by encouraging the Rhode Island legislature to pass laws that aim to minimize the impact of ICE on those in his congregation.
The Rhode Island State Council of Churches, along with other local churches, is providing meals and housing to individuals without asking for paperwork. “The table is open to all,” Langill said.
“We’re also helping churches understand what they have to do to secure their space,” Langill said, noting that the council is a plaintiff in a court case that challenges the revocation of protections that prevent immigration officers from entering schools, hospitals and churches.
“What we’re seeing are folks who are being detained based on the color of their skin,” Langill said. “And that’s just not okay as a matter of faith.”
“For us as Jews, we say that we’re all created ‘b'tzelem Elohim’ — we’re all created in the image of God,” Neimesier said in an interview with The Herald.
Neimeiser shared that his “story is an immigrant story.” Both of his grandparents on his mother's side of the family are Mexican immigrants, and his mother was born when they were both working as migrant farmers. He added that his members of his father’s side of the family are immigrants from Eastern Europe.
“I want to continue to serve as a moral voice in this moment to call out injustice and to be bold and brash in my advocacy for a government” that upholds the values of its founders and spiritual texts, he added.
Michaela Hanson is a senior staff writer covering community and culture.
