Morristown’s immigrant community, faith leaders show solidarity with those fearing ICE enforcement

By Andrew Dutton

Dozens gathered on the Morristown Green early Monday evening to show support for a Latino community that feels under siege after several sweeps by federal immigration enforcement officers this year.

Billed as a “Night of Unity and Hope,” the event was promoted by Morristown’s Potter’s House Church and Madison-based Wind of the Spirit, an immigrant advocacy group.

David Silva, pastor at the Potter’s House Church and a Morristown councilman, explained that the gathering was designed to “unite and to give hope to the Latino community that has been affected in the past two years by the measures of this (Trump) administration.”

Video: David Silva talks about immigration:

The vigil comes at a tense time for local immigrants, particularly those who entered the country without documentation, and those whose permissions to stay expired long ago.

Since January, masked ICE officers have taken away more than a dozen people from Morristown during “enforcement and removal operations.”

Co-organizer Stuart Sydenstricker, program coordinator for Wind of the Spirit, circulated among attendees as they arrived.

“We want to bring out the message of unity and respect for immigrants, and think about how the country is put together (and) the importance of immigrants.  I’m an immigrant.  I was undocumented.  We all came here to do something and be a part of it, and we just belong here.”

The gathering was a multi-denominational affair, drawing faith leaders from several area churches and a local synagogue.

The Rev. Luana Cook Scott, senior pastor at the Morristown United Methodist Church, helped fire up the crowd at the start of the service, clapping and encouraging people to sing along to a hymn sung by Maria Marrero.

With a Spanish translator at her side, Cook Scott reassured the audience. “For those who are afraid tonight..afraid that a knock at the door…may change their family forever, for all human beings, may dignity and love prevail.”

Rabbi Michael Satz of Temple B’nai Or in Morristown also took to the podium, reminding the audience that the very origin of mankind “lies with two people, who are common ancestors to us all.”

“Why two people?” Satz rhetorically asked the crowd, before concluding “so that no one can (claim that) my ancestors are better than your ancestors.”

Video: Mayor Tim Dougherty talks about immigration sweeps in Morristown:

As the service progressed, organizers handed out small battery operated lights that emitted a candle-like glow.   As the early evening settled into darkness, the soft glow of the lights illuminated the faces of children, teens, and adults who formed a large semi-circle around the podium.

Among the speakers were Raquel Rios of Whippany High School, and Christian Garcia of Morristown High School.  Each student used their allotted time to appeal to the wider community to accept and embrace the cultural contributions of the area’s Latinos.

‘HORRIBLE TREATMENT’

In a pre-event discussion, Silva recounted what he described as “horrible treatment” one member of his congregation faced after she was detained following a scheduled meeting with federal authorities at the Federal Building in Newark.

“They held her there all day, and at the end of the day when the offices closed, ICE came and took her.”

After explaining that the woman was married, with an 8-year-old child and 20 years of productive and law-abiding residence in the United States, Silva stated, “Before they deported her (to Honduras), she was transferred from Newark to Louisiana (where she) was mistreated very badly.  I cannot disclose the details, but it was bad.  She told me the whole story, and it was horrible.”

While Silva expressed his frustration with the Trump administration for its aggressive immigration enforcement, he also was critical of the Biden administration for what he described as its “reckless policy” that allowed an open border through which “a lot of bad people came in.”

Even so, Silva contended the vast majority of people who arrived in the United States since 1965 are “good people, working people (who) pay taxes and are an asset to the community.”

Silva stated that the United States urgently needs immigration reform, asserting that law-abiding people who have been productive contributors should be given a pathway to live here without fear.

“When the right starts doing this law enforcement in this vicious way, I think it’s wrong,” he said.