Faith Leaders, Families and Neighbors Converge in Kern County to Reclaim Power and Dignity

What happens when people of faith refuse to stay silent in the face of suffering?

In Kern County recently, we saw the answer take shape—in prayer, in song, and in powerful collective action.

We were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with faith leaders, neighbors and families from across California at the Convergence to Reclaim Our Power: Interfaith Prayer Vigil in Kern County. The three-day gathering—organized alongside the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Dignity Not Detention, and local allies—was a powerful act of collective faith and resistance calling for an end to the inhumane, profit-driven immigration detention system.

From McFarland to Bakersfield to California City, our communities came together to pray, sing, and bear witness to the suffering endured by those behind detention walls.

We called out the corporations—GEO Group and CoreCivic—that continue to profit from pain, and we demanded accountability from government officials who allow these violations of dignity to persist.

As evening fell, voices rang out in song:

“Hasta la dignidad, hasta la dignidad. Me muevo con mi pueblo por la dignidad.
Until you’re free, until you’re free. Until every human is treated with dignity.”

Those words—offered in Spanish and English—became a sacred refrain echoing through Kern County, a declaration that our faith compels us to move with our people until every human being is free.

The vigil was more than an act of solidarity—it was a moral outcry.

Our Kern County organizer spoke powerfully, reminding us that “we will continue to empower our communities in faith, so that they know and exercise their rights, so that their voices are not silenced, and above all so that we can prevent future generations from entering into a society that seeks to normalize injustices and trample on human dignity.”

Across the state, detention facilities like the California City Correctional Facility have quietly expanded, detaining hundreds of immigrants without proper permits and in defiance of local and state regulations. Inside, people are denied basic necessities—medical care, clean water, legal access—and punished for demanding humane treatment. These are not abstract policy issues; they are stories of families torn apart, of neighbors living in fear, of human beings treated as commodities.

At the vigil, faith leaders and impacted families offered testimonies of pain and resilience.

One woman, whose partner was detained in Mesa Verde ICE Detention Center, shared through tears: “It’s unbelievable to think that there are heartless people, without the fear of God, capable of separating families and violating human dignity. We are people who are just fighting to get ahead.”

Faith in the Valley joins her cry for justice.

As Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity said, “No matter how much money we contribute, where we live, or where we may have come from, everyone’s life has dignity and value.”

This event was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people come together with courage and compassion.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen when we keep showing up for each other. And we’re not done yet. We especially won’t stop until every community is a place where everyone feels seen, safe and free.

Watch the full livestream and contact us today to get more involved.