An 81-year-old Baptist minister, author and former Southern Baptist state organization official was one of six people recently arrested for protesting immigration enforcement at the Greene County Sheriff’s Office in Springfield, Mo.
Robert Lee Perry and his fellow protesters were booked into the county jail on one count of suspicion of first-degree trespassing for participating in an Aug. 26 “sit-in” at the facility that houses detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Springfield Daily Citizen reported.
Perry; Dominique Moore, 29; Cindy Potts, 56; Mindy Nielsen, 54; Sherry Webb, 61; and Leigh Woodworth were released 24 hours later.
The Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance identified Perry as “a clergyman who visits detainees in ICE detention at the Greene County Jail.” National Public Radio in St. Louis said Perry conducted the visits through a chapter of Abide in Love and said he has visited at least 22 suspected undocumented immigrants at the facility since November.
“Dr. Robert Perry is more than just a retired minister; he is a beacon of hope and compassion for ICE detainees at the Greene County Jail,” according to a Change.org petition established to reinstate Perry’s chaplaincy at the jail. “His pastoral visits have been a lifeline, as members of the clergy remain among the few visitors allowed, aside from legal representatives, to support the detainees during their time of need.”
Robert Perry visiting a detainee (from Change.org page)
Perry is a 1980 graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, a congregation that partners with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship through CBF Heartland, and with American Baptist Churches USA through ABC Great Rivers. A 2016 Baptist News Global report identifies Perry as then-director of church health for the SBC’s Greene County Baptist Association, where he focused on implementing strategies for older, diminishing congregations.
Before then, Perry had served as a pastor, a missionary to Mexico and as director of missions in Missouri and Virginia. He is the author of Leadership the Ozarks Way, a 2014 book detailing how Southwestern Missouri culture and values shape strong leaders.
KYTV in Springfield said Perry is fluent in Spanish and has kidney cancer that is currently in remission.
The sheriff’s office in Greene County has stood out for its cooperation with ICE, NPR reported. Its jail has been the site of a surge in detainees, ranging from 250 to 300 on a typical day. The department is one of 30 law enforcement agencies that have signed federal contracts to assist in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, according to the Daily Citizen.
The jail protest that landed Perry behind bars began with he and the other five demonstrators entering the jail lobby and requesting the release of detainees who have not been charged with criminal offenses, KYTV reported. The group was allowed to remain in the facility — holding sheets emblazoned with “No Charges, No Cages” — throughout the day but were incarcerated after refusing to leave when the lobby closed to the public.
Perry said the deputies handling the arrests were professional but the jail experience was harsh. “At my age, the 24 hours (in jail) was very difficult. I’m on a lot of medications, and I never did get my medications while I was in the jail.” Authorities said the medications could not be provided until Perry’s pharmacy confirmed the contents of the bottles.
“Jail is intended as a place to separate law-breakers from the general population and punish them appropriately for their crimes. No one should expect it to be a fun or comfortable experience,” he said in a recent social media post. “I complained about being cold various times, as I’m sure every prisoner does.
Time. It is very disorienting to lose all sense of time. Inmates are not allowed watches and there are no wall clocks. When I asked the officers what time it was they would usually give me an approximation, but sometimes just said they didn’t know. There are no windows so you really don’t know if it is day or night.”
Perry’s supporters lamented his chaplaincy ban. “Removing Dr. Perry’s ability to conduct pastoral visits not only strips detainees of their essential support system, but it also sends a chilling message that compassion and advocacy are met with punitive measures. “The importance of his presence cannot be overstated; for many detainees, he is not just a minister, but a symbol of hope, understanding, and kindness in an otherwise isolating experience.”