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https://www.salon.com/2026/08/12/even-the-nuns-are-mad-catholic-sisters-are-standing-for-haitians-outside-ice-offices-partner/>
"BLUE ASH, OHIO — The first Haitian immigrant reported to the Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office at 7:42 a.m. on Sunday. From the corner,
the Catholic sisters watched, their positions on immigration stamped on banners
and signs.
Sister Alice Gerdeman’s sign noted that her order, the Sisters of Divine
Providence, supports “challenging systems that exclude.” Sister Sandy Howe’s
sign read, “Love Your Neighbor, no exceptions.” Sister Patricia Wittberg’s took
a more direct approach: “It’s so bad even the NUNS are mad!”
“Where has our conscience gone as a society?” Sister Carren Herring asked as
the Haitian man walked toward the field office, where he would reemerge from
hours later with a GPS tracker clamped around an ankle.
There would be a dozen or so more like him that day, mostly Springfield-area
Haitian residents summoned to report to ICE after the Trump administration
ended Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for the country. The program has
allowed hundreds of thousands of Haitians to live and work legally in the
United States due to violence and political instability back home.
The man paused before entering the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations
office. At the door, Springfield pastors were offering communion and prayer. He
waved to the crowd of nearly 700 lining the street in support.
“ICE does not speak for the people! No neighbor of ours is illegal!” they
chanted in early-morning humidity that portended an oppressively hot August
day.
The group of sisters positioned on the corner in front of the office were from
different orders: Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Precious Blood, Sisters of
Charity and Sisters of Divine Providence. They are united by their faith and
shared ministry, the Ohio Sisters Justice Network, whose banner described the
network’s use of “gospel justice” to protect democracy, end human trafficking
and support immigrants.
That included advocating that the Trump administration extend TPS for Haitians.
Now, it means showing up to support them as immigration enforcement tightens
its grip.
“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Sister, they need to come here legally.’ Well,
they came here legally,” said Sister Sally Duffy, a Sister of Charity and
active participant in the network. She held a handwritten orange sign that
read: “Our Immigrant Brothers and Sisters have God given DIGNITY.”
“We are changing the rules,” she continued. “If it was a Bengals football game,
and it was the last second on the clock, and the field goal kicker was going to
make a 30-yard field goal, and all of a sudden, no, we moved him back, so now
it became a 70-yard field goal, there’d be an uproar, an outrage over changing
the rules.”"
Via Joyce Donahue.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
