The following letter was sent to us by a Shem Center friend and member of many years, Kevin Kuhn.
— Br. Joseph Kilikevice

Hello Shem Center and Male Spirit friends! 

I hope you are well and enjoying time with family and friends. Joe Kilikevice asked me to share a recent experience of mine. Thanks, Joe.

Please see photo…that is my face on the street.  I was tackled down to the street. My wrists were zip-tied. I was arrested by Cook County Sheriffs.

On November 14, 2025, myself and 20 other non-violent civil disobedience protesters were arrested outside the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Broadview, IL. Our 6 hours in a local Cook County Jail cell were minor compared to the trauma of our Chicagoland neighbors inside the ICE facility. Our neighbors and friends have had their lives disrupted forever after being abducted by ICE officers off our US streets. 

We do what we can to call out this racist authoritarian madness. That was our purpose when hundreds of us planned for our November 14 action… keep the focus on those who were kidnapped by ICE. We want our neighbors to receive spiritual care inside the facility, where we know they experience documented inhumane conditions. 

On Nov 13 at a local church, we met for non-violent civil disobedience training. Participants were local faith leaders of many world religions and many folks with no faith tradition. We all stood together and verbally committed to non-violence. We were told that state violence was a possibility. We all chose our personal risk level without pressure. We communicated clearly with our friends and family and National Lawyers Guild volunteer lawyers.

We all did this in community with friends…like you! We felt that we were not alone. In the jail bus and in the jail cell, we cried, laughed, sang, recited poetry, shared stories and complained about the tight zip ties on our wrist. We know that so many of us work in our communities to do what we can with our own abilities and limitations. Thank you for being part of my community and for your important efforts. 

Grateful for community,
Kevin Kuhn