Clergy, church leaders, and people of faith will gather outside Miami Correctional Facility on Monday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m. for a public prayer vigil in support of the immigrant community and in lament for the immigrant detention system.

According to the CATO Institute, “65 percent of people taken by IC had no convictions, 93 percent no violent convictions.” The language being used related to the use of the Miami Correctional Facility for immigrant detainees is deeply troubling. We also pray and urge our elected leaders to pursue transparency, accountability, and policies rooted in compassion and justice.

Leaders from The Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church are hosting this vigil, which will welcome other faith traditions. The gathering will include Scripture readings, songs, and prayer calling for compassion, dignity, and justice for immigrants and refugees. Those in attendance will stand in prayerful solidarity with the immigrant communities and call attention to the urgent need for humane treatment of all people.

Bishop Tracy Smith Malone of the Indiana United Methodist Church recently wrote, “Many in our [Indiana] Conference have expressed deep concerns about what such facilities would mean for justice, compassion, and the God-given dignity of every person—especially those who are most vulnerable among us. As the body of Christ, we must not remain silent in the face of language or policy that diminishes human dignity.”

We will gather to pray for those who are detained, for their families, and for a system that better reflects mercy, justice, and love.

Community members, people of all faiths, and the public are invited to attend. Clergy are invited to wear clergy collars and red stoles. For more information contact Rev. Chris Lantz at chris.lantz@inumc.org or Rev. Matt Landry at matt.landry@inumc.org

Event Details:
Date: Monday, August 25, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Miami Correctional Facility, at the southwest corner of W 800 S and Highway 31