With President Donald Trump expected to sign executive orders on immigration this week, about 300 people of Jewish, Muslim, Baptist and Catholic faiths vowed to protect each other from discrimination. On Tuesday night, New Haven police, schools and politicians rallied in solidarity with the congregation.
The interfaith crowd met at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, a mostly Hispanic congregation that helped organize against immigration raids about a decade ago.
Father James Manship is pastor of the church. Manship says people have to stand up for each other in tough times.
“We recognize that we cannot be all that we are called to be if someone is bullied, mocked, intimidated, oppressed, diminished in any way, because of unjust policies or laws, those excluded because of race, religion.”
Manship helped found the interfaith group CONECT, or Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut, in 2011.
The statewide group is starting committees to organize legal resources, job security, and sanctuary spaces for undocumented immigrants.