Use this template to lead a prayer vigil or solidarity gathering at an immigration detention center in your area based on an original gathering led by Rev. Marta Pumroy Corder.
Introduction
We are here at ________ to pray for those who are detained, those who are working in this system, and those who are connected, loved and cared about, by many across this country and world.
Description:
Include some information about the detention center.
EXAMPLE:
- Camp East Montana, located here on the federal land of Fort Bliss, is a large, privately operated (by Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small Virginia-based corporation) “soft-sided” tent detention facility.
- It has been under intense scrutiny since opening in August 2025, serving as a major hub for deportation of immigrants from diverse countries of origin (Peru, Venezuela, Cuban, Togo, Iran, Germany), many times transferred from other cities such as Miami, Chicago, Richmond, New York, and Minneapolis. If you speak another language in your heart, it is very likely someone inside connects with it.
- This facility is known for reports indicating over 60 federal standard violations within its first 50 days. The facility is designed to be the nation’s largest ICE detention center, and according to the Amerian Civil Liberties Union, it has faced numerous allegations of serious abuse, including physical violence, sexual assault, and medical neglect.
Purpose
We will take our time today to sing, observe, meditate, and pray.
Scripture Reading: PSALM 69:33
“The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.”
Song
Peace is flowing like a river
Flowing out of you and me
Flowing into the desert
Setting all the captives free
Love is flowing like a river
Flowing out of you and me
Flowing into the desert
Setting all the captives free
(Compassion…)
Scripture Reading: MATTHEW 25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”
Share
Include information about the injustices happening in immigration enforcement detention, especially local to the detention center you are gathering at.
EXAMPLE: Violations and allegations regarding Camp East Montana include:
- Violent Misconduct and Abuse: Reports document physical abuse by guards, including inmates being punched, stomped on, and having their testicles crushed while already restrained. There are also allegations of sexual abuse by officers.
- Preventable Deaths and Homicide: As of February 2026, three deaths have been reported within two months, including a 55-year-old Cuban man whose death was ruled a homicide due to suffocation after being physically restrained by staff.
- Medical Neglect: Detainees report severe neglect, including delayed or denied access to care, and failures to administer medication for serious chronic conditions. One report described a woman experiencing heavy bleeding who was returned to the facility immediately after emergency surgery.
- Substandard Conditions: Conditions have been described as “inhumane” and “dangerous”. Problems include serving spoiled, rotten, or inadequate food, as well as unsanitary living conditions, such as overflowing sewage, flooding, and lack of adequate hygiene supplies.
- 60+ Federal Violations in 50 Days: A September 2025 inspection found at least 60 violations of federal standards, including inadequate security, lack of training for contractors, and limited access to legal counsel.
- Inadequate Staffing and Security: The facility has struggled with staffing, with reports of 286 officers in September 2025 despite a population over 1,000, failing to meet promised staffing levels of over 450.
- Restricted Legal Access: Detainees report being blocked from communicating with lawyers, with a limited number of, or no, working phones and no functioning law library. The Washington Post +9.
- In response to these conditions, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Texas Civil Rights Project, and other human rights organizations have demanded the closure of the facility. American Civil Liberties Union.
Song
Peace is flowing like a river Flowing out of you and me Flowing into the desert Setting all the captives free
(Love…Justice…)
Silence
Time to sit in silence and observe.
Group Sharing
- Name the complaints from those inside-
- Ask for other observations.
Prayer
- Petitions for everything shared.