Yesterday morning, a bit later than usual, about 56 people joined
us to walk the last miles from St. Martin of Tours to the Northwest
Detention Center. There were newcomers, some from Tacoma, some
from much farther away than Bellingham; some had walked on other
days, welcome companions who jogged my memories of each day of the
journey.
When we arrived at the Detention Center, another 30 or so people joined us so that 80 people prayed the Stations of the Cross of the Migrant Jesus and then a lovely call-and-response set of prayers that Lee, who has been such a stalwart since we began planning, had created from various sources. We prayed in both English and Spanish, and in the background were private security people watching warily, and families of people detained within kept coming out after visiting their loved ones. The landscape around the center is stark, freight spurs, a propane depot, anonymous buildings with indecipherable names like CODEL, which I learned from its website is a maker of "entry systems," better known as "doors."
May the doors of the Detention Center in Tacoma, and of all the Detention Centers, open soon to release all those held within. And may our hearts also be opened to welcome those who want to build new lives in the United States!
posted by Nick
Codel specializes in prison doors for the Bureau of Prisons and Dept of Corrections.
Posted by: Tim Smith | 08/26/2009 at 02:09 PM