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This July, U.S. officials announced that the Indiana National Guard’s Camp Atterbury training facility would be used to detain undocumented immigrants. On Sunday, September 7, a number of Indiana Friends participated in a demonstration in Greenwood, Indiana, in front of Rep. Jefferson Shreve’s office, proposing that instead of repurposing Camp Atterbury for housing undocumented immigrants, funds that would be used for that repurposing be used instead to prioritize housing for Hoosiers. Demonstrators carried signs with messages advocating for compassion and justice for everyone living in Indiana.
The event was organized by Stuart Mora, who works at Munoz Legal, an Indianapolis law firm that specializes in immigration law. In his remarks, Mora highlighted his Christian faith as his basis for participating in these kinds of actions. Mora has recently become a Friend, and has involved members of his new church in these types of actions. Both pastors from Indianapolis First Friends, Bob Henry and Beth Henricks, have participated in these demonstrations and prayed the blessing over the action and the attenders. During the September 7 demonstration, Eric Baker and Jim Kartholl, also members of First Friends, participated by providing music for the demonstration.
Reflecting on social media after the event, Bob Henry wrote: “I started my morning kicking off a new sermon series on Beloved Community at our Quaker Meeting, but tonight I had the privilege of joining the Beloved Community to take action to ‘Build Houses NOT Concentration Camps,’ outside Rep. Shreve’s office in Greenwood, Indiana! It was wonderful joining with over twenty-five people from our Quaker Meeting and many others through song, joy, and love! Thank you to Stuart Mora for organizing the event, to Eric Baker and Jim Kartholl providing the music, and to everyone else for showing up to make their voices heard! The movement is growing!”
Another notable presence was Fady Qaddoura, Indiana State Senator for Senate District 30. Faddy is a graduate of the Ramallah Friends School. In his remarks, he pointed to history for inspiration, and encouraged the group to keep doing the right thing. —Karla Jay
