FULL: Faith leaders against ICE violence

Texas Impact is hosting this press conference in partnership with our member of faith communities as part of a coordinated week of action with faith leaders across the country who are joining together to take a stand against ICE violence. Texas faith communities are outraged at the recent killings by ICE in Texas, Maine, and Florida, but we know that those are just the latest instances. We're calling on elected officials to do their jobs and hold ICE and Department of Homeland Security personnel accountable. We call to the violence and terror at the hands of ICE across all states to stop. The series of actions with faith leaders this week is coordinated by Faith in Us, a national initiative launched by Minnesota clergy who led clergy in resisting Operation Metro Surge earlier this year. This morning, we have speakers representing some of Texas' many faith traditions. Each speaker will introduce themselves, and after that, we'll have time for questions. So Bishop Breiner, would you like to get us started? Thank you, Bea. Good morning. I'm Bishop Sue Breiner. My last name is spelled B-R-I-N-E-R, and I am with the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. And today, I speak on behalf of the four Texas bishops who serve the people of Texas. Today, we stand alongside clergy and religious leaders from many Christian traditions and faith communities here in Texas. We also join bishops, pastors, deacons, rabbis, imams, and other faith leaders across our country who are speaking out with one voice. Violence against our neighbors cannot become normal. And every human life deserves dignity, accountability, and justice. The tragic death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston brought us together today. But our concern reaches far beyond one heartbreaking incident. We grieve every death, every act of violence, and every enforcement practice that unnecessarily endangers human life or diminishes the God-given dignity of our immigrant neighbors. Our faith compels us to speak in moments like these, not because we have all the answers, but because the gospel calls us to stand with our neighbors, especially when they are vulnerable. When fear begins to shape the daily lives of our neighbors, it is time for the church to show up. Not with easy answers, but with courage, compassion, and hope. As Christians, we confess that every human being is created in the image of God. Human dignity is not earned. It is not determined by citizenship or immigration status. It is God's gift to every person. As Lutherans, we are a church of immigrants. Our congregations include people whose lives reflect every part of the immigrant journey. Their joys are our joys. Their fears are our fears. As St. Paul reminds us, when one member suffers, we all suffer. Our social statement on faith, civic life, and public engagement reminds us that participation in public life is one way that Christians love our neighbors. We engage in public life not to seek power for ourselves, but to seek justice, uphold human dignity, and serve the common good. That is why we are here. The church does not gather because every policy question has an easy answer. Immigration is complex. Nations have both the right and the responsibility to secure their borders and uphold the rule of law. But our faith insists that no matter how difficult the questions are, we never lose sight of the people at the center of them. As Lutherans, we believe government is one of the ways God works to preserve life, to promote justice, and to order our common life. Those entrusted with public authority can carry a profound responsibility. So whenever the government exercises power to detain, use force against, or take the life of one of our neighbors, transparency and accountability are not acts of hostility toward the government. They are expressions of hope that our public institutions can live up to the sacred trust that they have been given. We do not stand here today claiming to know every fact surrounding Mr. Salgado Araujo's death. A fair and thorough investigation must be allowed to do its work. But neither can we accept the truth that the truth remains hidden. In matters of life and death, the truth belongs to the public. When government exercises the power to take a human life, the public deserves a full accounting of what happened. Transparency honors both the dignity of those who have been harmed and the integrity of those who serve with honor. That is why we are calling for an independent investigation, the release of all available evidence, meaningful oversight, and reforms that reduce the likelihood of another family suffering this kind of loss. We also renew our Church's longstanding call for immigration policies that are just, humane, and that honor the dignity of every person. Truth matters. Transparency matters. Accountability matters. These are not partisan values. They are moral ones. They are essential to justice and to the public trust. I also want to speak directly to our immigrant neighbors. Many of you are living with uncertainty and fear. Some are afraid to drive to work, report a crime, seek medical care, or simply go about your daily lives. We see that fear. We grieve with you. And we want you to hear this clearly. You are not alone. You are beloved children of God. Our congregations will continue to be places of welcome, prayer, accompaniment, and hope. We will continue to walk alongside you. Finally, I want to speak to all Texans. The measure of any society is not how it treats the most powerful, but how it treats the most vulnerable among us. As followers of Jesus, our first question is never, what does that person deserve? Our first question is always, who is my neighbor? And what does it require? If we begin there, we may still disagree about policies. But perhaps we can recover something that our state desperately needs. The ability to see one another, not as opponents, but as neighbors. Today, people of many faith traditions are standing together because we share this conviction. Every human is created by God, loved by God, and worthy of dignity. We may worship differently. We may pray differently. But on this, we stand together. Our hope is not only for better policies. Our hope is for communities where every person can live without fear, where public institutions are worthy, again, of public trust, and where justice and mercy walk hand in hand. The prophet Micah reminds us what the Lord requires of us. To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. May God grant us all the wisdom to seek the truth, the courage to pursue justice, and the compassion to love every neighbor. Thank you. Thank you, Bishop, for those inspiring words. My name is Jim Harrington. I'm with St. James Episcopal Church, and I work with the immigrant community. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, a year ago, on July 4, issued a statement recognizing that the church has moved into resistance to the administration's immigration policies. That was just the beginning. Today, there is much more for us to lift our voices against. Three ICE deaths, Florida, Maine, Texas, within a week. Three families ripped apart, two of them where the father had legal papers to be in the United States. Deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis and one on Padre Island. Besides ICE's street violence, 60 people have died in ICE custody since ICE ramped up in January 2025. Some deaths occurred because of denial of medical care. Some deaths caused by ICE officers. We are grateful that the governor and the Houston mayor have finally promised a full investigation of the killing of Lorenzo Salgado, but we note that it took a week of civic pressure to bring that about, and we will watch for the transparency. As the governor finally said, after a week, immigration enforcement should not lead to the death in streets. Our other focus today is on the children. The policy to detain children and use them as bait to arrest and deport their parents and custodians is abhorrent. The videos of young kids in immigration court by themselves, bewildered at judges' questioning, are haunting. All this is against our religious beliefs and our moral principles that this country claims. The other part of resistance to which we commit ourselves today, besides petitioning government, is to meet and talk with ICE officers, asking them to examine their conscience. If their actions are immoral and against our religious teachings, they should resign and find other work. They cannot defend themselves by claiming their following orders. Following orders is never a justification in the Christian tradition nor international law to perpetuate evil. El Paso Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz issued a pastoral letter on March 15, read in all the churches, all his parishes, at Sunday mass, quote, the current national campaign of mass detention and deportations is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed. With prayer, peaceful action, and actions of solidarity with those affected, he urged ICE agents not to follow illegal deportation orders. We also commit ourselves today to set up mechanisms and ways to take food to immigrants in their houses, lest they fear that if they go out to buy food for their kids at night, they will keep being removed from the country. And following the Minneapolis example, we also commit ourselves to set up mechanisms to provide medical care to kids in their homes. All parents know that the great majority of ER visits are for their kids. We pledge ourselves to undertake these efforts. We cannot kid ourselves that the unconscionable and cruel enforcement we see about us is not based on race. All we need to do is to look at the white South Africaners who are granted asylum on the spot to see the picture in color clearly. Our commitment is to work with government when we can, change government when we need, and resist government when it does not respond. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyred by the Nazis, said, we are not to simply bandage the wounds of the victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself to stop the machine of injustice. Going one step further, our job as religious leaders is to commandeer the machine. Amen. Beloved children of God, my name is Dan DeLeon, last name spelled capital D-E space capital L-E-O-N, and I'm here today on behalf of the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ, to which the church that I have served in College Station for the last 20 years, Friends Congregational Church, gladly belongs. I came here from Aggieland today to tell you what all of us already know in our hearts, that we need peace. We need peace. From Minneapolis to St. Augustine, from Biddeford to Houston, we the people are troubled in mind, body, and spirit at the life-snatching violence that ICE is inflicting on our communities. And we need peace. Say that with me. We need peace. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Notice that Jesus does not say, blessed are the peacekeepers, which is what ICE alleges to be doing in our communities, keeping the peace. But immigration and customs enforcement policies that are carried out by dehumanizing, criminalizing, and endangering our immigrant neighbors make for a fake peace, a forced peace, the kind of Pax Romana, the Roman empirical peace that Jesus stood against, and that we the people have no interest in keeping. Here in Texas, our communities have no interest in keeping a so-called peace that arrests our neighbors now and asks them questions later, leaving their families with mounting legal fees and financial burdens caused by the disruption in the agonizing meantime, not to mention the emotional and psychological harm done to their children, who are suddenly left without a parent. This is not of God. This is no peace that we want a part of, because, let's be honest, this isn't a peacekeeping initiative. This is a terror campaign with the mission of traumatizing our neighbors until they self-deport. We don't need terror. We need peace. We lament the ICE killing of Houston resident Lorenzo Saldado Arauco, a man my age, 52, a husband, a father, a neighbor, who was on his way to work and then gone, another victim of the terror campaign. And this isn't just happening in Houston. In the last few weeks, some 20 residents of Bryan College Station have been picked up by ICE in the neighboring counties of Hearn, Carver, and Madisonville, most of them men on their way to work, husbands, fathers, neighbors. One of those neighbors of ours has a child with severe autism and a baby at home, and he's the sole breadwinner for his family. Lord, have mercy. What will they do now? They need justice, the kind of justice that comes with real peace. So I'm here today, we are here today, to say enough with the terror campaign. We need peace. Come on. We need peace. So here's the good news. As people of faith, we make peace where there is none. And we do so by seeing one another as beloved children of God, no matter who we are or where we come from. Instead of inflicting hostility, we practice hospitality, and the whole community is blessed as a result. In the Christian tradition, we make peace by seeing the face of Christ on everyone from family and friends to strangers and even enemies, so that we would always be reminded that how we treat one another is how we treat Jesus himself. We make peace by seeing one another as neighbors, as one of our own, because here's the thing, if you see someone the way that God intends for you to see them, as a person to whom you belong and who belongs to you as kin, you will stop at nothing until you both have safety and security, until their dignity and well-being are as prioritized and protected as yours are, and until you and the community you share have peace. So we call on our state lawmakers to join us as peacemakers by holding the terror campaign of ICE accountable here in Texas. We invite our representatives in the legislature, so many of whom claim to be Christian, to reject ICE violence and restore peace in our communities. In short, in sum, we implore our state lawmakers, who are also our neighbors, to repent from the ideology of cruelty and dominance and to turn toward a theology of compassion and hospitality, where we Texans love one another as we love ourselves, no matter the language that we speak, the accent we have, or the color of our skin, because that's what peacemakers do. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God, and we are all God's children, and we all need peace. My name is Betty Foreman, and I represent the National Council of Jewish Women, and it's B-E-T-T-I-E-F-O-R-M-A-N. Jewish tradition teaches that whoever saves a life saves the entire world, and conversely, whoever destroys a life destroys a whole world. Representing NCJW and all of us here today, we are outraged that the callous behavior of the government has once again resulted in tragedy and death, and that entire communities and the worlds they contain have been upended. On July 7th, ICE agents shot and killed a 52-year-old Mexican man in Houston, as we've already discussed. Six days later, there was the killing in Bedford, Maine. Their lives were different. Their journeys to the U.S. were different. But now they are the latest victims of unchecked, unaccountable immigration enforcement that continues to claim lives and community across this country. May both of their memories be a blessing along with the others who have been killed so callously, and may their loved ones find comfort in this moment of unimaginable grief. The breathtaking tragedy of these killings only becomes more horrifying within the context of the broader reality of ICE's violence. There have been dramatic upticks in violent apprehensions in places once considered off-limits for enforcement, as well as a growing number of deaths, as have already been mentioned, in immigration detention facilities. Immigrant communities across the country live in fear of violent apprehensions, whether on the road or in less public spaces, such as workplaces, churches, schools, immigration courts, anywhere. We ask the governor and our legislature to step in and to check the power of the administration, which is continuing a brutal campaign of deportation, detention, and fear. Throughout our history, we have repeatedly seen firsthand the consequences of governments exercising unchecked power on vulnerable populations. One most obvious comparison was less than 100 years ago, during the Holocaust, when Jews and others were rounded up and killed because they were different. Different methods were used, but it was the same reasoning. And this is the way it started, exactly what's happening here. As long as this administration's goals remain, the detention and deportation of as many people as possible, regardless of safety or due process, as long as ICE agents are free to roam through communities with billions of dollars at their disposal, it is only a matter of time before there are more tragic deaths and before more families are forced to endure this grief. In grief, anger, and solidarity, we stand with our immigrant communities across this country and around the world in reaffirming the need for human dignity and safety in all policy decisions. We will continue to fight for a more just and compassionate world. Thank you. Hi, my name is Elise Rosenberg, E-L-Y-S-E-R-O-S-E-N-B-E-R-G, and I'm representing National Council of Jewish Women, like Betty, and also a member of Temple Beth Shalom here in Austin, Texas. We condemn in the strongest terms the violence that the Department of Homeland Security is using to enforce American immigration law in Houston, in Maine, in Florida, and in cities across this nation. We are deeply disturbed to see our neighbors targeted for detention and deportation in their homes, at work, at schools, and at their houses of worship. We're also concerned about the use of intimidating and violent detention tactics, dangerous and unhealthy holding facilities, lack of appropriate warrants or due process, and wrongful apprehension of U.S. citizens or individuals with proper visas based on appearance or language. The U.S. is a nation of laws, and we expect our laws to be enforced with clarity and consistency. We are pained by reports and videos indicating that members of law enforcement are engaging in behavior that escalates confrontation, risking the safety of those suspected of having violated the law, and that is suspected of bystanders and protesters, and their own safety. Candidates for law enforcement must be properly vetted, fully and carefully trained, and held accountable when they do not meet appropriate standards. Such accountability also includes wearing video cameras, investigating complaints fairly, transparently, and impartially, especially in cases of officer-induced shootings. Our sages tell us that the Book of Deuteronomy directive, tzedek tzedek terdof, means justice justice shall you pursue, implies that the law must be enforced through a fair process and that one should pursue justice whether it would be to one's advantage or to one's loss. Regardless of one's views on immigration policy, no enforcement action should result in the loss of innocent life. The instability and chaos caused by ISIS deployment to American cities is a threat to our democracy and all marginalized communities, and we vehemently oppose the use of lethal force against anyone exercising their rights. Judaism calls on us to protect the stranger because we all know too well what it is like to be a stranger in a strange land. Our tradition affirms that every person is created b'tzelem elohim, which means in the image of God, and that preserving a life is of paramount value. Immigrants are members of our own congregations, our families, and people with whom we interact in our broader communities on a daily basis. American Jews cherish our own families' immigration stories. We recall that many, like many being expelled from America today, were or are our ancestors came to this country to escape oppression and to find opportunity, like my father and his family did in 1929. This is why we joined with clergy and lay leaders of all faiths to engage in a variety of actions to protect immigrants in our midst. We cannot be silent, and we urge you to join us in telling our legislators to take a stand against authoritarianism and violence in our cities and towns. Thank you. Amen. Good morning. My name is Georgianne Hewitt. It's spelled G-E-O-R-G-I-A-N-N-E, and Hewitt is H-E-W-E-T-T. I serve on the Board of Church and Society for the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, and I'm a lay member of the United Methodist Church. My siblings across this faith community have been very eloquent today in addressing these recent events. A dimension that is important to also bring up is each of these people here serve their local community. They're there to work with the unhoused, the impoverished. They go to hospitals and visit with families that are experiencing illness or imminent death. They pray with people when difficult things have happened in their families. And so one of the things that concerns all of us is we're talking about the fabric of our community. We are talking about civil society. Our communities are strong. Our communities are vibrant. Our communities thrive when these relationships, not only with those in these communities of faith, but these relationships with law enforcement and our government are honest and working towards justice together and where trust exists. And so when incidents like these happen, the community, the fabric of the community begins to break down. And so it's incredibly important for us to have these kinds of conversations about what we're going to do to ensure that these relationships do not deteriorate, that we can trust in one another, we can trust that we all want to protect life, that we all want fairness, we all want justice, and we all want peace. So we ask that we all work very hard together because each of us, each of us has the right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness and the way we treat each other each and every day in our local communities is what becomes widespread across the United States. Amen. Good morning. My name is Abel Vega, A-B-E-L, and then last name is Vega, V as in Victor, E-G-A. And I come here as a United Methodist and also as Director of Connectional Ministries for the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. And then also come here really bringing a pastoral statement on behalf of our bishops of the Horizon Texas Conference, the Rio Texas Conference, and the Texas Conference, which is about two-thirds of the state of Texas. So on the morning of Tuesday, July 7th, 2026, Lorenzo Salgado Arujo was shot and killed by an agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Houston's East End. We grieve. We grieve as neighbors, as clergy, as lay leaders, and as people who confess that every human being is created in the image of God and possesses sacred worth that no earthly authority may erase. A father was killed on a Houston street on his way to a construction site, and his citizen children learned of his death not from an official, but from a video circulating on social media. This is a moral wound to our whole community, and we will not look away from it. We extend our deep condolences and our steadfast prayers to the Salgado Arujo family and to the men who detained alongside him, including his brother, and to the Magnolia Park and East End communities now living in fear and sorrow. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the federal agents at the scene had not been issued body-worn cameras. It remains unclear what other federal video evidence may exist, including any footage from government vehicles or other recording systems. No comprehensive video of this moment before the shooting have been made public. The Harris County District Attorney's Office has announced that it is conducting an investigation while acknowledging that key evidence remains under federal control. The public still has little evidence with which to evaluate the federal account of what has happened, and we do not stand in judgment of any individual before the facts are known. We stand for the truth, and the truth in this matter of life and death belongs to the public. As United Methodists, we affirm what our social principles have long taught, that all persons, regardless of country of origin, are members of the family of God, and that we are called to welcome the stranger, and that we oppose policies that dehumanize, criminalize, or endanger our immigrant neighbors. As people of faith, we hold that public policy must protect human life and human dignity, especially the lives of the most vulnerable among us. The use of lethal force against a human being is a grave matter that must never be shielded from accountability, and when it occurs in our streets, in our neighborhoods, and in the presence of our children, it demands not silence, but a full public reckoning. So to our immigrant neighbors, and especially to the Latino communities of Houston and across Texas, who carry this grief and fear today, you are beloved children of God. You are not alone. Our congregations remain places of welcome, refuge, prayer, and practical support. We will continue to provide pastoral care, connect families with trusted legal sources, and to know your rights information to stand publicly for your dignity and safety. And we invite the faithful across our conferences to pray for the Salgado Arujo family, to accompany immigrant neighbors in tangible ways, and to lend their voices to the call for truth and justice. May God of the widow, the orphan, and the stranger comfort all who mourn, strengthen all who seek justice, and turn to the hearts of those in authority toward mercy and truth. He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. And so this comes in the peace of Christ, and with a shared commitment to truth, justice, and the dignity of every person. Hello, my name is Grace Bonilla, my last name is spelled B-O-N-I-L-L-A, and I'm here to represent Texas IMPACT and make things that we've heard today just a little bit more concrete. We are here today because Texans of faith and conscience refuse to accept what we witnessed in Houston as proper immigration enforcement. We believe every person is created with inherent dignity. That conviction does not conflict with border security. We recognize the federal government's responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and maintain our borders. But enforcement must never come at the expense of human life. Today, too many immigrant families in Texas are afraid to drive to work, take their children to school, go grocery shopping, or seek emergency assistance because they fear the consequences of encountering immigration enforcement. When communities are terrorized rather than protected, everyone is less safe. Texas needs a different approach. We need immigration reform that is just, humane, and comprehensive. We advocate for immigration reform that keeps families together, restores public trust, and recognizes the humanity of every person. While immigration policy is set in Washington, Texas leaders are not powerless. They can demand better from federal agencies, and they can decide how this state cooperates with federal enforcement. They have both the authority and the responsibility to act. That is why we are calling for immediate federal reforms to ICE enforcement operations. First, there must be clear enforceable limits on the use of lethal force and an end to vehicle-based enforcement tactics that predictably escalate into deadly encounters. Secondly, ICE must immediately restrict the use of unmarked vehicles and plainclothes agents during routine enforcement operations. No one should have to wonder whether they are being stopped by legitimate law enforcement or someone impersonating an officer. Transparency is essential to both public safety and public confidence. Third, every federal immigration agent should be required to wear clearly visible identification and use activated body cameras during every enforcement operation. Fourth, families deserve humanity. They should never learn through social media that a loved one has been detained, seriously injured, or killed. Federal agencies must provide prompt, direct, and compassionate notification. Finally, there must be truly independent oversight of ICE operations, with meaningful consequences when agents violate policy or the law. Accountability is not optional. We also recognize and appreciate the Governor and Houston leaders for initiating investigations into the death of Lorenzo Salvaldo Arrujo. That response should not depend on the circumstances of one case. It should be the standard every single time an ICE-involved death occurs in Texas. We call on Texas officials to commit immediate, independent, and transparent investigations of every ICE-involved death in this state. Texans deserve the truth, and communities deserve confidence that no agency operates beyond public scrutiny. We also call for a moratorium on all 287g task force agreements and immigration information sharing programs outside existing 287g agreements until meaningful federal reforms are implemented. Texas should not be complicit in federal operations that fail to meet basic standards of transparency, accountability, and respect for our communities. And we call on the state to review, license, and regulate every residential facility operating in Texas under the same health and safety standards we expect of our own state institutions. No one should be housed or transported in conditions that Texas itself would never permit. These reforms are achievable, they are practical, and they are urgently needed. The question before our policymakers is not whether they can enforce immigration law. The question is whether they will apply our state's standards as a condition of participation to protect life, respect human dignity, and earn the trust of the people we serve, including some of the most vulnerable among us. Today we are calling on our state and federal leaders to choose accountability over secrecy, humanity over fear, and justice over indifference. Thank you. This concludes all of our speakers. We have time for questions if anyone wants to ask them, and I think we have a couple of Spanish speakers if anyone wants to ask from the Spanish media now or separately. Does anyone care about... Anybody who... Should we go next? Yeah, okay. Let's go. Sorry. Buenos dias. Yo soy el reverendo Ricardo Jiménez, trabajo como ministro asociado para el Sino del Suroeste de Texas de la Iglesia Luterana en América. Parte de, verdad, como escucharon, del objetivo de cada uno de los líderes que hay aquí que representa diferentes fees, es precisamente denunciar lo que sucedió en Houston y lo que está sucediendo en diferentes lugares de nuestro país. Nos levantamos como líderes precisamente porque cada una de nuestras fees, verdad, nos llama a denunciar la injusticia y a estar junto con el marginado y a caminar junto con, verdad, con los que sufren en este caso. Sabemos lo que está pasando con nuestras comunidades inmigrantes, específicamente la latina. Y haciéndome un poco eco de lo que algunos líderes mencionaban dirigiéndose a la comunidad inmigrante, de igual forma lo hago ahora, diciendo que ustedes son amados y amadas de Dios, son hechos y hechas a la imagen de Dios y necesitan sentirse seguros en un espacio donde no estén siendo criminalizados porque de esa misma manera lo somos todos y todas. Así que muchas gracias. Cualquier cosa estoy por aquí a la orden. And did you say your name for the record? Ricardo Jimenez. Oh, okay. Ricardo Jimenez. Anybody else want to? Okay. Go ahead. Buenos días. Me llamo Abel Vega y trabajo por la conferencia Rio-Texas que es de la iglesia naturista. Y personalmente de mi trabajo es que estamos viendo que muchas de nuestras iglesias, principalmente las iglesias hispanas, pero también que no son totalmente hispanos, están reconociendo la realidad de sus próximos, sus vecinos. Y están respondiendo con comida, con acompañamiento al corte y varias cosas así. En nuestra historia, porque en nuestra área tenemos como más de 400 millas de frontera. So, como tres años atrás, los puntos de recibir los migrantes que están llegando a este país pasaron como 260,000 personas a esos varios puntos que los ministerios estaban dando acompañamiento. No más a nuestros vecinos humanos, nuestros hermanos. Y qué pasó sobre el tiempo es cuando cerró la frontera es que el número era como 26,000. Y con esa dinámica cambió la realidad que la población, el pueblo migrante, en verdad está aquí y está en nuestros barrios. So, la iglesia es la iglesia y su trabajo es para amar a su prójimo, para acompañarlo y con esto vamos adelante. Gracias. Es un llamado al gobierno, tanto al gobierno federal, pero también al gobierno estatal a que se garantice la protección de los seres humanos. Reconocemos que hay unas leyes, pero también reconocemos que el ser humano va por encima también de esas leyes en términos del cuidado y la protección. Así que es un llamado a las autoridades a que lo que pasó no vuelva a suceder y que si es posible se reforme una agencia como ICE para que podamos operar desde el cuidado y ejecutar las leyes de manera humana. Any other questions? Yes. Actually, I want to leave it open to the faith leaders to respond to that. Bishop, would you like to say something? A couple of things. Thank you for asking. The first is that we are standing united across faith traditions and calling for this. We are seen in our communities as moral authorities, and so we want to not only speak for ourselves, but we want to encourage our own congregation members and all those who are with us to be able to stand up and speak out against what's going on with ICE. So we are not partisan in this effort. We are standing together as faith leaders. I'll just add that this is not unique to Texas. All over the country, faith leaders, and I think in this moment particularly, clergy and lay leaders within a bunch of different traditions are all recognizing that they need to be much louder than they have been. I think we've seen over the past year, maybe two years, that clergy and faith leaders feel like they are saying so many things and so loudly, and they just don't hear it making the impact that they want it to, and they're starting to realize they need to be much louder. Can I say one more thing? Yeah, absolutely. So there's also, for Christians, there's also a narrative out there that is called Christian nationalism, but it is absolutely not Christian. It goes against everything that Jesus stood for, and so we as faith leaders, certainly in the Christian community, but those as well in Jewish and other communities, are standing up for what we believe is the real message of the gospel, and that is love for the neighbor, care for the vulnerable, and that every person is created in the image of God. So we have not been good at standing together on this, and we are getting much more loud about it. Thank you. Any other questions? If not, if you want to speak to any of the individual speakers, I know they'll be happy to stick around and talk to you, and otherwise, I think we're done. Thank you all. Thank you so much for coming.