Clergy and faith leaders gathered Saturday at Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh for a prayer vigil for law enforcement and immigrant communities affected by a new law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants in North Carolina.

Opposition to Senate Bill 153

The bill, which became law in June, requires state agencies, including the State Highway Patrol, to cooperate with ICE. Faith leaders argue that this law will have negative consequences, including targeting people who are U.S. citizens and those with no criminal record.

Rev. Joel Simpson from United Methodist Church of Taylorsville said, “This is not what state troopers signed up for. It makes their responsibility even greater while pulling them away from good and important work they’re already doing across our state.”

Those at the vigil also expressed concerns about the impact on immigrant populations, who may be afraid to report crimes to law enforcement due to fear of being taken away.

Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.