Crowd attends vigil at Butler County Jail in support of those detained by ICE

For three minutes, the crowd stood in silence, facing the brown fenced in building, willing strength and love into the 450 immigrants being detained there.

The candlelight vigil was for Alonzo Tomas Mendez and other detained immigrants. Prayers in both English and Spanish could be heard by those driving by along with the songs proclaiming faith in God.

Mendez is a 34-year-old immigrant from Guatemala who is in the country illegally and was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Price Hill Kroger on May 31 along with three others.

Since then, Mendez has been at the Butler County Jail.

People attending the vigil sought to send the message that Alonzo deserves to be released on bond and reunited with his family, like so many others, according to a press release from Ignite Peace.

Samantha Searls, the program director for Ignite Peace, an organization that challenges unjust systems and advocates for peace, said a faith-based group called Undivided, her organization and the Ola Immigrant Welcome Center collaborated to organize the protest.

“We’re hoping that the public sees us, and that those on the inside sees us, whether it’s through the window now or through word of mouth,” Searls said, “because we really want to send the message that immigrants are welcome here, that we are here to care for them, that we see them. We see what’s happening to them, and we think it’s wrong and that we’re just a witness to what they’re experiencing.”

Joshua Heizer, co-founder of Latino Allies Ministries and Jessie Heizer, a member of Undivided, said everyone was there peacefully with a united goal to show those in the jail they were not forgotten.

Walter Vasquez, a community leader and neighbor in Price Hill, showed up to support Mendez and to help navigate care for those on the inside whether that’s emotional support, financial assistance or hiring attorneys.

“I don’t worry about myself, but for my family, yes,” Vasquez said. “But for me, I have to remind myself that, above all, I am Christian first, and my duty with that has to do with me loving my neighbor.”

In February, a portion of the jail opened for ICE detainments, and recently, 10 deputies were credentialed as ICE agents.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said the Butler County jail currently has around 400 ICE detainees.

When asked by the Journal-News if he was concerned with the vigil, he said “no, protests isn’t a bad thing.”

Karen Bernish, 79, learned about the candlelight vigil from her priest who was one of nine people to speak in front of the crowd.

“[I came] just to be a part of the response against what’s happening with ICE in the country,” Bernish said. “No matter how we feel about immigration, the way we’re treating people is unfair and vicious and not who we are.”