Chris Sikich

chris.sikich@indystar.com

Mayor Joe Hogsett on Sunday told about 1,500 people at a rally on the east side that the city welcomes all immigrants, refugees and marginalized people.

"Indianapolis welcomes all," he said to cheers. "We are not divided. We are united as one city."

The Indianapolis Congregation Action Network (IndyCAN), a faith-oriented grassroots group, organized the rally at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 550 N Rural St. Jewish, Muslim and Christian faith leaders involved with the group are alarmed by executive orders issued by President Donald Trump that they believe are unfairly targeting immigrants, Muslims and refugees.

Hogsett agreed to work with IndyCAN and the City-County Council to pass a resolution that Indianapolis will not comply with any law a court has determined to be discriminatory or unconstitutional.

While IndyCAN celebrated that as a win, it doesn't constitute a change in the way the city operates. Hogsett stopped short of agreeing to implement new policies on immigration or declaring Indianapolis a sanctuary city. He called Indianapolis a city of inclusivity.

"As a city, we are committed with all stakeholders to ensure that not one dime of city resources funds anything that a court has determined to be discriminatory or unconstitutional," Hogsett said.

Faith leaders are also pressing Sheriff John Layton to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Immigration attorney Emma Mahern said the Marion County Sheriff's office works closely with ICE, helping make Indianapolis one of the top cities in terms of cooperatng with immigration officials. Citing 2012 data, she said the county jail had nearly 100 illegal immigrants at any time waiting deportation at an estimated cost of $100,000 a year.

Layton had planned to attend the event but canceled, citing a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, according to IndyCAN. The lawsuit alleges that jurisdictions in Indiana and other states were holding immigrants without charges, which is an unconstitutional practice. The ACLU won a district court decision in 2016 that is being appealed.

Organizers planned to send a delegation to meet with Layton on Monday to urge him to stop cooperating with ICE.

Other cities have gone further than Indianapolis, declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. In what has become a growing movement, cities such as Cincinnati, Madison, Wis., and Birmingham, Ala., recently added themselves to a list that includes Chicago, Detroit and Nashville. These cities follow certain procedures to shelter illegal immigrants, including not permitting local police to inquire about immigration status and not cooperating with ICE.

It's unclear how that might work in Indianapolis. State lawmakers approved legislation in 2011 that prohibits local governments from refusing to cooperate with customs officials.

On Sunday, Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders led the crowd in prayer in a show of inclusiveness. Every speaker had their words translated into Spanish or English.

IndyCAN, they said, plans to keep applying pressure beyond the rally.

The Rev. Linda McCrae of Central Christian Church said various congregations will advocate for health care, against stop-and-frisk laws, for sanctuary churches and against any potential Muslim registry.

"This is a unique and decisive moment in the history of our country," she said. "We know the policies that we are reading about and we are already seeing happen wreak havoc in the lives of families.

"As people of faith have always done, we are about caring for one another and caring for the most vulnerable among us."

The crowd cheered loudly for many speakers, especially for concepts such as inclusiveness and unity. Many in the audience held signs that said "No Muslim Registry" and "Keep Families Together" and seemed hopeful the event was doing some good.

Speakers included immigrant Ricardo Viveros, who said he was pulled over by police a few weeks ago because of a broken light. Tearing up, he said he has a hearing in March, and he is worried he will be deported. He's been living in the U.S. for about 15 years and has a family of four.

"I just want everybody here to know that I don't want what is happening to me now to happen to anybody else," he said through a translator.

Immigrant Alicia de los Santos told the crowd her husband went to the car mechanic in September and never returned. He is being deported, she said. She said he has lived in the country for about 22 years and has four children who she is worried may never again see their father.

"I'm here today to ask us all to stand together to not honor ICE detainers and not separate families, because it feels awful to be separated from your family and to have to explain to your children why," she said through a translator.

Eyas Raddad, a scientist at Eli Lilly and a Muslim, told the crowd he came to the United States in 1997 looking for a dream of education. Raddad said that dream is at risk and the last year has been more challenging for Muslims living in the United States than ever before.

Raddad described his son being bullied in school for being a Muslim and said an area Islamic school received a threatening anonymous letter that said Trump would cleanse America of Muslims.

"On behalf of all Muslims like me, I urge you to stand as one in this fight."

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich and at facebook/chris.sikich.

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