The streets of downtown Leavenworth rang with the clatter of pots and pans as dozens of neighbors, organizers, and former CoreCivic workers gathered for a joyful and defiant march against the proposed reopening of the CoreCivic-run ICE detention center recently. Many Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth joined the “Pots and Pans March,” held on Saturday, July 19, which was more than just a protest; it was a celebration of community solidarity and a powerful witness to our shared belief in the dignity of every person, regardless of where they come from. With chants, music, and homemade signs, participants filled the streets from Osage to City Hall to Haymarket Square, making it clear that this community won’t stand for the opening of a for-profit immigrant detention.
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth are seen at the gathering for the “Pots and Pans March” through Leavenworth, KS.
The energy was strong and grounded in lived experience. Former employees of the facility courageously shared what they endured—stories of violence, understaffing, and death behind prison walls. These personal accounts reminded everyone that this fight isn’t abstract. This fight is about real lives, real trauma, and a system that has repeatedly failed those it claims to serve.
Saturday’s march was also a reflection of the deepening bonds between residents, SCLs, and community advocates who are standing together to say, “enough, finding common ground in the call to protect our immigrant siblings and to resist corporate profit at the expense of human life.”
Sisters Pat Johannsen and Susan Chase listen to a speaker at the “Pots and Pans March.”
Sisters Therese Bangert, Rejane Cytacki, Karen Guth, Susan Chase, Associate Ellen Hustings, and Sister Paula Rose Jauernig at the “Pots and Pans March.”
There’s still a long road ahead of us filled with courtroom battles, but moments like this march remind us what we’re fighting for: not just legal victories, but a world rooted in compassion and accountability. We carry forward the spirit of the march; the rhythms of our resistance, the laughter between chants, the prayers whispered between speeches. Together, we’ll keep showing up, raising our voices, and building a future where dignity is never up for debate.
