#FamiliesBelongTogether Rally in Saint Louis

Event organizers and supporters gather in front of the
Old Court House in downtown St. Louis.

On Thursday, June 14th tens of thousands of people in over 75 cities across the United States participated in marches and rallies to declare that Families Belong Together and to oppose the current inhuman and immoral policies of the United States government which include separating parents from their children without telling them where they are or when they will see them again.  Some ICE officials have even been reported to tell parents that they will never see their children again.  The children that are taken are being warehoused in makeshift cages in re-purposed stores such as a Wal-Mart in Brownsville, TX.  The United Nations has even stepped in to remind the United States government that it is illegal under international law to separate migrant and refugee families; it violates their human rights. 

Sr. Anne Marie Burke CCVI (left) and Jennifer Reyes Lay

In St. Louis, MO the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word were represented by the presence of Sr. Anne Marie Burke CCVI and Jennifer Reyes Lay (Assistant Director of the CCVI JPIC Office) who attended the local march and rally.  Around 150 people gathered in front of the Old Courthouse downtown where a century earlier slaves were sold: black bodies that were deemed less than human and therefore the property of other white bodies.  Those gathered boldly declared "Never Again" would we allow human beings to be treated as property, as less than fully human, like the current immigration policy is treating the men, women, and children fleeing violence and poverty in their own countries. 

Speakers at the rally also included voices of Jewish and Muslim women, Latinos and community organizers, local politicians, and families including children who spoke out against the inhumane treatment of other children just like them. 

Demonstrators block a downtown intersection while
chanting for justice for immigrant families

After the rally at the Old Court House there was a march through the streets to the Federal Courthouse.  About mid-way there, organizers and participants took to the streets and shut down a major intersection for at least 5 minutes to make their message heard and demand justice for migrant and refugee families.  At the conclusion of the march, there was a period of silence to remember all those who have died either trying to cross the border, or at the hands of ICE and immigration while being detained. 

A young boy participates in the moment of silence
holding his sign that says "Don't tear families apart"

Everyone present was reminded of the importance of their vote in electing politicians who will defend justice and speak up for the most vulnerable in our communities to protect their human rights. A bill was just recently presented in the Senate called the "Keep Families Together Act" sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (S.3036).  We encourage you to reach out to your senators and ask them to co-sponsor this bill and put it on the fast track to move through Congress for approval.