“Humanity is Borderless” Vigil Scheduled for Saturday Night

Holding candles and sharing stories, a group of two dozen or so immigration activists have been gathering on alternating weekends since early August to stand in solidarity with families and children seeking refuge at the southern border. The group will meet again this Saturday in front of the art museum on State Street at 8 p. m. Group organizers say they hope to engage in conversation about how best to deal with the humanitarian crisis.

Following the announcement by President Barack Obama that he will wait on revising U.S. immigration policy, activists around the country have rallied in opposition to the inaction. “With every day that passes, on average 1,100 immigrants are separated from their families due to deportation, causing unnecessary suffering for many children who loose a parent or other close family member,” said Lynnette Arnold, who is a member of the Santa Barbara Friends Meeting (Quakers) and a graduate student at UCSB. This week, Pastor Frank Schaefer, who was recently appointed to the Methodist ministry in Isla Vista, will be leading the vigil.