Mercy Sister Jo Ann Persch (74) hugs a supporter as she walks toward the entrance for admission to the Broadview Immigrant Detention Center on April 30. After two and a half years of weekly prayer vigils outside of the facility, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to allow religious and clergy to pray with immigrant detainees on the deportation buses on Friday mornings during a trial period for the next month. The nuns and 18 other religious leaders and allies had declared that they would engage in civil disobedience by blocking the gates to the facility if prayer was not made available to the immigrant detainees.
Photo: Karen Callaway / Catholic New World