Interfaith Clergy Respond to Unjust Deportations in North Texas

On Monday, April 28, clergy from across faith traditions gathered at Kessler Park United Methodist Church in Dallas for a press conference organized by the Interfaith Clergy Emergency Response League, a coalition convened by Faith Commons. Together, they stood in unified moral witness against a growing crisis: the unlawful detention and deportation of immigrants in North Texas.

At the heart of the event was the story of Neri Alvarado Borges, a 25-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker from Lewisville. Neri disappeared on his way to work on February 4. Despite having no criminal record and complying fully with legal asylum processes, he was deported by the Department of Homeland Security—without notice or due process—to CECOT, the notoriously dangerous prison in El Salvador.

Neri’s case is not an isolated one. He is one among a growing number of immigrants in North Texas—of various nationalities—being detained and deported without explanation, legal hearings, or access to counsel.

“As faith leaders, we cannot keep silent while innocent neighbors are illegally abducted, detained, and deported,” said Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Chief Relationship Officer at Faith Commons. “These actions erode our democracy, violate human rights, and contradict the moral values we uphold in our communities.”

The press conference featured powerful statements from local religious leaders, including:

• • Rev. Amy Spaur, Lead Pastor of La Fundición de Cristo / Christ’s Foundry United Methodist Mission

• • Amreena Hussain, Vice President of the Indian American Muslim Council, Dallas Chapter

• • Cantor Vicky Glikin, Senior Cantor of Temple Emanu-El and a U.S. citizen who arrived as a child refugee from Ukraine

Together, these leaders called on the broader community to oppose these unjust practices and to stand with immigrant neighbors who are facing fear, uncertainty, and family separation.