Mount Pleasant community members gathered Thursday night for a vigil at the Henry County Courthouse after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 32 immigrants at a local cement plant this week.

The Mount Pleasant vigil and those held across the state were organized to demand the release of those arrested. The vigil was led by Erica Johnson, Immigration Rights Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee in Iowa. Johnson says, “This raid is devastating for the people who were detained, their families, and the entire community.”

The vigil followed a meeting Wednesday where over 100 people gathered at the First United Presbyterian Church in support of the families affected by the raid. The church has served as a sanctuary and organizing base for those responding to the raid. Of the 32 arrested for administrative immigration violations, Department of Homeland Security Public Affairs Officer Shawn Neudauer states one is from Honduras, two are from El Salvador, 22 are from Guatemala, and seven are from Mexico. No information has been released on where they are in custody.