About 30 members from the Iowa City Catholic Worker House gathered in U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack's office Tuesday and told his staff he's not doing enough to close detention camps at the southern U.S. border.

After he and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed $4.6 billion in emergency funds last month to address the humanitarian crisis there, Loebsack said children must be reunited with families and have access to basic hygienic products.

In a statement, he said what's happening on the border is "completely unacceptable."

The demonstration by the Catholic Worker members is one of many scheduled recently across the county. On Friday, people gathered in Cedar Rapids for a candlelight vigil to protest against conditions in detention camps.

Activists and Catholic Worker House members filled a room in his office and held signs opposing detention, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and family separations. A legislative aide for Loebsack in Washington, D.C., Sam Ward, talked to the members by speakerphone as the congressman was in session.

Loebsack was in Iowa City over the weekend before returning to work in D.C. this week. Catholic Worker House trustee David Goodner said they didn't try to schedule an in-person meeting with Loebsack, but they hope to meet with the congressman next month.

Pat Bowen and Maureen Vasile read a joint letter from the Catholic Worker House and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Worker House member Mark Pettersen asked what the congressman is doing to actively close the camps.

Ward said Loebsack is devastated by the crisis and helped introduced the Keep Families Together Act of 2019, to end family separation.

Journalist and community organizer Manny Galvez emphasized that Loebsack must represent everyone in his district, including the Latinx population.

"He needs to remember, that in his district, there are many Latinos and Latinas," he said. "We appreciate when he shows up at our community events, but that is not enough."

It's important, he added, that Loebsack call for the shutdown of the camps and take action to get increased protections for children in detention.

Ward said he'll pass the messages from the members to the congressman and the office hopes the act will get passed.

Pettersen said the event today was a first step toward taking action against the border crisis.

"It was an important action to show how serious we are as a community, how serious we are about taking intentional steps to close the camps," he said. "And taking steps to change this administration's horrific policies."

Reach Hillary Ojeda at 319-339-7345, hojeda@press-citizen.com or follow her on Twitter at @hillarymojeda