For the 10th time in as many years, pilgrims gathered just before sunrise the Friday before Christmas to pray for immigration reform while reenacting the story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem. The “seeking posada” held each year by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Immigration Education is a twist on a Mexican tradition in which parishioner seek shelter in area homes in the evenings before Christmas. Elena Segura, the immigration office director, said people sometimes ask why the office does the posada in the morning instead of the more traditional evening. “We do it the morning to be in solidarity with the people being deported,” Segura said. Every Friday morning, immigrants are deported from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Broadview, and the office joins in a weekly prayer vigil there each week. “We are seeking legislative shelter.” About 100 pilgrims prayed for families that have been broken up by deportation, for students who are unable to fulfill their potential, and this year especially, for Syrian refugees who have been spurned by many state governors. They also prayed for the president and legislators, that they would find a way to implement immigration reform. After praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, the group was led by Melisa Nunez, portraying Mary, and Pablo Albarran, portraying Joseph, on their way. At each stop, they stood behind orange plastic fencing and asked for shelter. Their route took them from 101 W. Congress Parkway, the building that houses the Chicago offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where immigration detainees are held; DePaul University, representing institutions of higher education which cannot admit as many undocumented students as they would like because they cannot receive federal financial aid; Federal Plaza, which is surrounded by buildings housing various government offices and federal courtrooms; and finally St. Peter’s in the Loop, where Franciscan friars welcomed them with music and refreshments. They sang a special posada hymn in Spanish at each stop, and Christmas songs as they walked. For Sister Katie Mitchell, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and Maggie Cong-Huyen, both from St. Mary Parish in Evanston, it was their first time coming to a posada, but both wanted to show their support for immigration reform. “I’m praying that our country will be more welcoming to immigrants,” said Sister Katie, a pastoral associate at St. Mary. “Maybe we can do our own posada next year.” Cong-Huyen, whose parents immigrated from Vietnam, said that she wanted to honor her family’s experience. “This is one way I can support people like my parents,” she said. That’s especially important given the current political climate. “I think there’s a lot of fear in the country right now, as we approach Christmas.” For Jaylene Mata, Estafani Celis and Viviana Velasquez, all seniors at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, the posada is something of a tradition. They were among about two dozen students from the school who came from the posada and they have made the trek every year since they were freshmen. “The fact that our parents were immigrants makes it more meaningful,” Celis said. It can be discouraging to see little or no progress, they said, but that’s no reason to stop. “We have to keep trying,” Velasquez said. “Eventually something’s going to happen.’ “If we don’t do anything, then no one will do anything,” Mata said.