HYATTSVILLE, Md.–Jim Bell has never felt comfortable entering Hyattsville Immigration Court, but he still shows up every Thursday afternoon, putting his own ease aside out of a sense of duty.
He and several other local people of faith say they come to bear witness to the proceedings. They want to make sure that people are treated legally and fairly by Department of Justice representatives and any other government officials who may show up–including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I’m a little hesitant about observing the court,” said Bell, who is a member of the Interfaith Court Immigration Observation Group through the Friends Meeting of Washington, a local Quaker meeting. “If ICE comes, then obviously observing the court is part of (the work).”
“You’ve seen it on the news all the time, where (people) are getting pounced on,” he went on. “That’s what I’m most concerned about keeping (watch over.)”
It’s a sensitive moment in Hyattsville and the larger network of immigration courts around the country. President Donald Trump’s administration is working hard to enforce immigration laws, and many big decisions are playing out in these administrative courts run by the Department of Justice through its Executive Office of Immigration Review.
But it doesn’t happen outside the public eye. Law students, media and citizens trained by the American Bar Association show up, as do community members who simply want to watch as neighbors or friends ask for asylum or respond to a notice to appear from the Department of Homeland Security.
Last week, the Executive Office of Immigration Review clarified court practices with a memo declaring court hearings are “generally open to the public, including the news media.” Hearings can be closed or held with limited attendance under certain circumstances, and electronic devices are not allowed, according to the courts’ policy manual.
For the network of religious observers, there’s an added level of spirituality to the work. They come mainly to bear witness as people seek asylum or answer summons on alleged immigration violations.
“As a priest and as a member of the church, we are called to give a response and speak on behalf of those who are in need,” said Father Juan de la Cruz Turcios from St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring.
Bell recently attended a trial in which the respondent was ordered removed from the country. Just moments later, he stood with the man in an elevator. It was painful, and he had little comfort to offer, but at least he could speak a soft word.
“There’s a human dimension that we don’t see in there,” said Bell. “He was completely devastated.”
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Hope and prayers at the courthouse
The day often ends in prayer. One regular circle gathers outside Hyattsville Immigration Court to sing, pray and offer moments of silence for those facing court hearings.
Oftentimes, community witnesses don’t even enter the courthouse. They stand outside the office-style high-rise a few blocks away from the Mall at Prince George’s and offer support to those entering or leaving the building.
One recent Thursday afternoon, a crowd of about 30 people began to form, ready to share their own stories and listen to those of others. Colorful messages sprawl across their posters, reading “Make America Kind Again,” “Due Process For All” and “Apoyamos a nuestras vecinas inmigrantes,” or “We Support Our Immigrant Neighbors.” Throughout the vigil, prayers and hymns were in both English and Spanish.
Most were over the age of 60, bundled in fleece vests and scarves to cut the autumn chill, and came from Quaker, Roman Catholic, Mennonite and Episcopal circles.
“We want to be a peaceful, nonviolent witness that will be visible and support those coming to court when we are here,” said Sister Anne Marie Gardiner of the School Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Camillus Parish. Gardiner, who has attended several of these vigils, led the prayer circle.
She acknowledged the immigrant respondents facing trial that day, and asked for a moment of silence for them. Gardiner then named each person deported since the group’s last vigil two weeks prior.
At one point, Gardiner stepped away to greet a pair of young law students, wearing suits and jackets, taking a moment to pray for them before they went into court. When she returned to the gathering, she prayed for each lawyer and attorney fighting for immigrant freedoms.
Several of those gathered were immigrants themselves. St. Camillus’ Father Turcios was born in El Salvador and migrated to the United States with his family over 25 years ago. His family was able to secure legal status early on. He calls himself “lucky.”
“By being here, we allow our brothers and sisters who go into court at this particular time, who are immigrants, who are afraid, to let them know that we are here, that there’s a group of people who are praying for them,” Turcios said.
When it was his turn, he prayed for ICE officials, asking that they follow their consciences to protect one another over their civic duty to detain.
They ended with an “amen,” and agreed to meet again in two weeks.
“When something is so out of sight that you don’t really think about it, you don’t understand the seriousness of it. It’s powerful to come and be in-person and listen to and witness these stories and see this struggle,” said Rev. Lesley Krauland of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in College Park and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in D.C. “It becomes much more real because they’re not out of sight and not out of mind.”
Turcios echoed the idea.
“We are a ministry of presence,” he said. “We are here.”