More than 250 clergy members and community advocates marched through Huntington Station this weekend as part of the "Day of the Disappeared," calling attention to a series of recent immigration enforcement actions that they say have left families grieving as the holiday season begins.
The group processed to the CVS parking area in Huntington Station, where local day laborers have reportedly been detained in surprise operations. There, faith leaders from multiple traditions held an outdoor service to honor community members who have gone missing after encounters with immigration agents.
Among those in the procession were parishioners from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington and the Rev. Lilo Carr Rivera, priest-in-charge of St. Andrew’s in Yaphank. The Rev. Cn. Marie Tatro, Canon for Community Justice Ministry, who also joined the march, described the event as both heartbreaking and resolute.
“Yesterday I marched with over 250 clergy and laity to the CVS in Huntington Station where dozens of day laborers have been abducted by masked I.C.E. agents. At an outdoor interfaith service to honor the Disappeared and their families, we sang, wept, and prayed that God’s spirit of justice would roll away the stone of sadness, anguish and fear experienced by our immigrant siblings.
As the holidays approach, there will be empty chairs at our tables. Shattered families will gather, knowing that there are pieces of themselves missing, loved ones ripped from their homes, our streets, and ripped from our hearts. They are not forgotten. We called out some of their names, recognizing that the names we have are but a small fraction of the people who have been abducted and wrongly deported.”
Organizers say they hope the gathering will draw wider attention to the experiences of immigrant workers on Long Island and encourage elected officials to demand transparency and accountability in federal enforcement actions.
