Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Chicago, Illinois, blocked a group of Catholics from sharing communion with detainees held inside the Broadview detention center.
The group—made up of hundreds of nuns and lay believers—marched toward the facility while singing hymns of worship.
They gathered in prayer before a group of priests approached the guards and asked to enter, stating that they wanted to share communion with those being held inside.
@johnnypalmadessa Kristi Noem denies access to church to hold communion. #donaldtrump #chicago #church ♬ original sound - Johnny Palmadessa
Fox News reports that a trooper made a call to officers inside the building, but the request was denied.
The group said they had notified the facility several days earlier to inform them of their intentions.
“We were denied our fundamental human rights given by God, and those who are inside have been denied,” said one protester. “And so we leave today angry. But we also leave motivated.”
Members of the group said they would continue to pray for undocumented immigrants.