Sister Dale Jarvis, RSM, is a former vocation minister and educator in Portland who volunteers with Mercy Focus on Haiti, a nonprofit she cofounded. Sister Patricia Pora, RSM, is the co-founder and former director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Portland and travels frequently to Latin America. They are members of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the largest order of Catholic religious women in the United States.

Two more innocent people are dead — killed as they were simply driving to work, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who claimed to be looking for “criminal” immigrants.

Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a beloved husband and father in Biddeford, was killed in front of his wife and little daughter, who he adored. He had legal status and held down two jobs to support his family. “I tried to stop” may have been his last words.

A few days earlier, ICE agents killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband and father driving to work in Houston, Texas, where he had lived for decades. He was in the process of legalizing his status.

They left behind heartbroken families, a terrified immigrant community and an angry citizenry. We are Catholic nuns who have devoted our lives to helping immigrants and other vulnerable people in Maine, and we too are devastated by the latest of many such killings, a tragic outcome of the cruel dehumanization of our brothers and sisters who have simply come here in search of a better life.

We understand the righteous rage of protesters who swarmed Sen. Susan Collins’ Biddeford office and chased Gov. Janet Mills away from Mr. Guerrero’s memorial site.

President Donald Trump claims to be targeting violent criminals, but in both cases ICE agents were looking for someone else and didn’t even ensure they had the right men.

This violence must stop.

As Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, we are dedicated to solidarity with women and children, migrants and refugees, and we call for an end to the uncontrolled use of force employed by ICE.

We applaud Maine’s congressional delegation for demanding a “comprehensive, transparent and expedited review” of the shooting.

This may be the most painful week in the 160 years the Sisters of Mercy have served the people of Maine. But we are not helpless. Neither are you. You can take action to demand change. 

Sister Patricia has worked with Central and South American immigrants in Maine for many years, goes with them to court, translates their documents and helps them get food and housing. Sister Dale helps Haitian women, children and elders build lives of dignity in a land riven by gangs and crushed by extreme poverty, working through a nonprofit she co-founded.

Our experiences reinforce the life-giving power of standing together. We implore our fellow Maine residents to stand up for immigrants: join a peaceful protest; insist unjust laws be changed; join the call from Gov. Mills and other leaders to reform ICE or abolish it. At the very least, ICE agents must receive effective training, wear body cameras and be held accountable, follow the laws and treat all people with dignity and respect.

And we must urge Sen. Collins to support a bill that would enable more than 350,000 Haitians to stay in the United States until 2029, rather than face deportation starting on July 24. Her support is crucial to passing this bill and would demonstrate her compassion for immigrants, especially after voting last spring to advance $70 billion in new funding for immigration enforcement agencies with few strings attached.

Let’s stand up for them and other newcomers by remembering that Maine has often led the way in advocating for immigrants.

They are our neighbors, friends and a vital part of our economy. They care for the sick and rapidly aging members of our communities, milk cows, pick crops and gut lobsters — we rely on them in countless ways.

We cannot take away the pain of the Guerrero and Araujo families, but we can act and show the country that Maine’s motto “I lead” means we will be an example to the country of hospitality and justice for our brothers and sisters in need.