Churches hold prayer vigil to support refugees
EAST LANSING - Members of various congregations prayed together at the Islamic Center of East Lansing on Monday to show support for Muslims and refugees and lament the impact of a ban on refugees from certain Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S.
"We pray for those who are most vulnerable, whose lives are threatened and who are in need of protection," Pastor Liz Miller, of Edgewood United Church in East Lansing, said during the All-Faith Prayer Vigil. "We pray that those in power can help heal the wounds of our nation and help us to widen our welcome within and beyond our borders."
Area clergy delivered prayers in several different languages during the Presidents Day vigil, co-sponsored by the Islamic Center, University Lutheran Church and the All-Faith Alliance for Refugees, a consortium of Lansing-area congregations. Several hundred people attended the hour-long vigil.
Area employers and landlords, as well as refugees and their families, have been impacted by the immigration order signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 27, said Judi Harris, director of refugee services for St. Vincent Catholic Charities. Federal judges have upheld a restraining order delaying the immigration ban, but Trump is expected to sign a revised version soon.
Harris said her agency received cancellations for 16 cases that were supposed to arrive in February. About half of those have been re-booked, she said.
"Some have come and some may still come, but we haven't yet received any new bookings past March 3, and we're being told not to expect any," she said.
The ban will mean layoffs at her agency and cause hardships for employers who hire refugees, she said. And ultimately, the ban is endangering refugees, she said.
"We know that resettlement saves lives," she said. "We know that because of this situation, many may lose their lives."
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Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.