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On July 14, 2025, inspired by Pope Leo and moved to defy the Trump-Vance immigration crackdown, Detroit’s Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger led a solemn procession of some 250 clergy and lay faithful to the ICE regional field office in downtown Detroit.
“We forget that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are forced into their situation," Weisenburger told reporters.
"Immigrants and migrants are a suffering people, and because we recognize Christ and the dignity of our God in every human being, our goal today is to give a voice to those who have no voice."
The group prayed outside the ICE building and presented a letter asking for a meeting to address the Trump-Vance enforcement practices that had “created fear” in immigrant communities.
Weisenburger made clear that he was acting with the new American pope’s encouragement.
The archbishop said he drew inspiration from Pope Leo’s early teachings on migration: at Pentecost, Leo proclaimed that “the Spirit breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred,” a vision Weisenburger sought to embody in Detroit.
The march began with Mass at Most Holy Trinity Parish and wound quietly through Corktown to the ICE field office.
Participants carried crosses and banners as they read names of detained immigrants and offered prayers for the vulnerable.
Weisenburger told reporters, “Immigrants and migrants are a suffering people. Our goal today is to give a voice to those who have no voice”.
Organizers emphasized the event was not a political stunt but a faith-driven appeal.
As the archbishop noted, they were “motivated by beliefs that flow from the Gospel — that every human being is of dignity and every human life is of worth”.
Father David Buersmeyer, chaplain for the Catholic group Strangers No Longer, stressed that the goal was dialogue, not confrontation — to encourage ICE to enforce laws humanely, without separating families.
The Detroit action closely mirrors Pope Leo’s own emphasis in his two-month-old pontificate.
In his first homilies as pontiff, Leo has repeatedly invoked themes of inclusion and justice.
The new pope explicitly linked Holy Spirit and migration, saying that “where there is love, there is no room for prejudice” and calling for open hearts in relationships between peoples.
Archbishop Weisenburger pointed out that Leo’s choice of name honors Leo XIII’s legacy of workers’ rights and human dignity.
By praying at the ICE offices in Detroit, the archbishop signaled solidarity with the Pope’s call to “open borders in hearts” — bringing the Vatican’s message of tearing down walls to the local level.
Thank you for reading this article. We are 100% sustained by your generosity. If you find value in my work, please consider supporting me by becoming a paid subscriber today.
Paid subscriptions start at only $6.67 per month and will get you full access to this multi-part series on the life and formation of Pope Leo. The second part of the series was released earlier over the weekend.
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