People from all parts of California converged on San Diego Friday to demonstrate against the government's immigration policy and the separation of migrant families.
The large group is holding an overnight prayer vigil at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church with plans to sleep overnight on the church’s floor. The vigil will be followed by a Saturday march and rally at the Otay Mesa Detention Center at 1 p.m.
Included in the participants is a group that made a 13-hour trip from San Francisco.
“What I would like to see are two countries coming together and supporting people who are looking for a better quality of life,” Marin County resident Nancy Mencias said.
Even in the daylight, the group of Californians says the current state of U.S. immigration policy is dark.
For families separated by the trump administration's "Zero tolerance" policy.
Gloria Palos has lived in San Diego for years, all the while fighting to become a naturalized citizen. She says she knows what it feels like to be on the other side, and that’s why she’s speaking up.
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“That is why I can't be silent,” Palos said. “I know the pain, I know to live in the shadows, I know to let opportunity pass by.”
The group is demanding a permanent end to the detention and separation of undocumented minors from their families. And they want resolution fast.
“How long is it going to take for those kids to go back to their parents?” Palos asked.
With every step, the group builds hope that through their activism they can ignite Change.
