A group of Catholic priests and hundreds of congregants marched about a mile to an ICE facility in Cook County, IL, to pray for the detainees and offer Holy Communion, but were barred from going inside the facility, Fox32 Chicago reported on Saturday.

Nearly 200 people from Saint Eulalia Catholic Church in Maywood, IL, gathered outside the Broadview processing facility for the blessing as state troopers and other authorities looked on.

A viral video captured the prayer.

“Lord, you told us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but you never told us to ask where they were born, the language they speak, or what papers they carry in their hands,” one priest said. “You simply told us to love.”

Many of the congregants carried signs, with one large banner reading, “God Stands With The Oppressed.”

Authorities denied the priests entry into the facility to offer Holy Communion to the detainees.

The contingent says they had notified ICE several days ago about their plans to share communion, but were turned away nonetheless.

“I respect the state police with what they can do and all that. But that’s basically it, they are working through a middle man, they refuse to even talk to us,” Father Larry Dowling told CBS Chicago.

Another priest who marched with the group, Father Dan Hartnett, said of the detainees, “I’m sure they heard us singing, I’m sure they heard us talking, so hopefully they get strength from our presence.”

According to Fox32,”Fifteen people were arrested during the demonstration, which organizers described as peaceful but deeply emotional, vowing to continue advocating for immigrant rights.”

Fr. David Inczauskis told a reporter, “We were denied the fundamental human right given by God, which is to worship. And those who are inside have been denied that right. And so we leave today angry. But we also leave motivated in that we know we have a lot of organizing work to do to address the situation that we can only describe as evil.”

The march comes after President Donald Trump has sent ICE and Border Patrol agents to Chicago and its surrounding cities to deport people who entered the U.S. illegally. That plan has been met with firm opposition from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), with Pritzker this past week challenging the president, “If you come for my people, you come through me.”

Watch the clip above via Fox32 Chicago.

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