Hundreds gathered at Dallas City Hall on Friday night to protest the treatment of asylum-seeking families in federal custody at the hands of the Trump administration.

It was one of about 800 similar events that formed a national protest, called Lights for Liberty, aimed at bringing attention to reportedly overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at detention centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Events took place across the country in cities including El Paso, New York, San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Friday’s Dallas event featured local immigrants, faith leaders and community activists that work with immigrant families both in Dallas and along the border.

Denison, Texas friends (from center, left) Katy Schneider, Alison Earnhart and Kathia Suarez, chant with hundreds of others during the Lights for Liberty candlelight vigil outside Dallas City Hall, Friday evening, July 12, 2019. The group says they want to shine a light on the horrific abuses of the Trump administration in detention centers at the southern border, points of entry and across the country. (Tom Fox / Staff photographer)

Under the shadow of the Dallas skyline, more than 200 people chanted "Ain't no power like the power of the people, 'cause the power of the people don't stop!" They held signs that read "Camps are cruel!" and "Seeking asylum is legal."

Kelly Bryson and her kids wore Statue of Liberty costumes to the demonstration. She said she attended the event because she wanted her kids "to know that you can stand up for what you believe in and help others."

"The way children and families are being treated in those camps reflects poorly on all of us, on our country," Bryson said.

At one point in the evening, the air got tense as organizers mentioned a fatal shooting that had just taken place several blocks away in downtown Dallas.

Immigrant advocacy groups like the North Texas Dream Team and RAICES were on site providing information on how residents can get involved in immigrant-rights efforts.

“If people can relate to what’s going on inside these camps and see how close they are to us, they can see the human side of things and why these camps need to be closed,” said Denise Benavides, one of the organizers of the Dallas event.

The Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General itself reported earlier this month after an inspection of facilities in the Rio Grande Valley that DHS needed to "take immediate steps to alleviate dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of children and adults."

Reports have surfaced that adults and children are being held in overcrowded cells and not being offered basic hygiene products.

At one El Paso detention center, children age 8 to 15 reported having to take care of children younger than themselves.

President Donald Trump denied that conditions were as bad as the DHS report stated and blamed Democrats for not offering solutions to change the nation’s asylum laws, which he has often referred to as being “loopholes.”

“I’ve seen some of those places, and they are run beautifully,” Trump said earlier this month. “They’re clean. They’re good. They do a great job.”

North Texas imam and activist Omar Suleiman was one of the night’s speakers. He said that a lot of people right now “are feeling incredibly hopeless” but that he hoped people would leave Friday night with the belief that change could happen.

“We don’t just want to light candles. We want to light the torches in their hearts so they can really stand strong against what’s happening. This isn’t just about attending a protest. This is a call to action and to raise awareness about these camps,” Suleiman said before the event.

The lineup of speakers for the Dallas event changed over the past two days as some area activists pushed for a stronger message that went beyond calls to close detention centers at the border. Participants disagreed over whether to include groups that advocate abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency charged with finding and deporting unauthorized immigrants.

Bishop Michael McKee of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church announced Friday morning he was backing out over concerns that the event was becoming too political.

In El Paso, which is in the spotlight of Trump's controversial immigration policies, some activists said they were motivated to protest as a way to take back their narrative, away from a White House bent on portraying their home region as a no-man's land overrun by criminals.

"A false narrative about the U.S.-Mexico border and the ill-conceived notion that refugees and asylum-seekers are a security threat to America is grossly violating rights, detaining immigrants massively and costing the lives of children," said Fernando Garcia, founding and executive director of Border Network for Human Rights. "We must not allow this to define the character and values of America."

Nancy and Ken Newton traveled to El Paso from Dallas out of concern over what is happening there.

"We wanted to see firs-hand what the situation is on the border because there is so much confusion. We've read and heard so much that we thought it was important to see it for ourselves," said Nancy Newton, a retired physical therapist. "Unfortunately, this trip validated everything we've feared. Children are being harmed. We are damaging these children for life and that breaks my heart."

Couple from Dallas traveled to El Paso to protest treatment of migrants in detention facilities. Read our coverage w ⁦@obedmanuel⁩ ⁦@dallasnews⁩ #Lights4Liberty #LightsforLiberty pic.twitter.com/p04UGy4QbA — Alfredo Corchado (@ajcorchado) July 13, 2019

Near them, Irma Zacarías, 48, a housewife from El Paso, said that people "need to be less anti-immigrant and more human. People are blinded by hate. We need to touch our hearts, our soul and care about humanity."

Toby Gialluca, an attorney and national organizer of Lights for Liberty, said the idea for the national event originated about three weeks ago and that events started popping up one after another.

“We had no idea this would turn into a massive grassroots mobilization," he said. "This is an issue that transcends politics, race and religion, and it’s been an honor to see this happening all around the country."

Staff writer Alfredo Corchado contributed to this report from El Paso.