Dozens of parishioners filled the pews Friday morning at San Diego's Cathedral of St. Joseph.
They gathered to hear Bishop Michael Phạm deliver a special mass in honor of World Refugee Day.
"Look with compassion on refugees and exiles, on segregated persons and on lost children," Pham read from the opening prayer.
Phạm himself is a refugee who came to the United States unaccompanied as a boy from Vietnam with two of his siblings.
"Today I'm still grateful to the United States — a nation of immigrants — for providing me with a chance to start anew," he said in his homily.
Phạm said it's concerning to see the current deportation practices in the United States. It reminds him of what he saw before leaving Vietnam.
"It involved seeing people being taken away without an obvious reason. It is sad and disheartening for me to see this kind of thing playing out in this country today," he said.
After the mass, leaders from Catholic and other faith traditions drove to the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, just a few blocks away downtown.
"We'll be in the hallways, we'll be in the courtrooms," Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Pastor Scott Santarosa said.
They said they provided prayers and support to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and observed their court hearings. Santarosa advocated for the church to get involved.
"We recognize we are in somewhat extreme times. Immigrants, migrants feel like they're under attack, they're threatened. And so I think the church in a real concrete way wanted to show we stand with you," Santarosa said.
The faith leaders stayed inside for roughly two hours.
Sanatrosa said he did not see any arrests. He heard two cases that were given a continuance and he believed their presence made a difference.
"We saw ICE officers in the hallways with masks," Santarosa said. "That was of course an intimidating presence despite the fact the federal court staff has been very accommodating today."
Imam Taha Hassane, who leads the Islamic Center of San Diego, was one of a few local religious leaders who joined the Catholic clergy in a show of unity.
"As faith leaders we preach from the pulpit — we preach and talk about justice and love and compassion and all that stuff. Now it's time for us to show these principles and values on the street," Hassane said.
He hopes more faith leaders get involved and show their support.
"I hope also that the Trump administration will change their policies and just show some compassion, some mercy when they do their job," Hassane said. "Because the way they've been doing it was very brutal, was not the way we are supposed to be as a nation."
Phạm said the diocese will continue to support immigrants at the federal building as needed.
