When Rabbi Josh Whinston of Michigan heard about the growing tent city packed with immigrant teenagers in a Texas desert town, he felt he had to act.

As someone rooted in Jewish tradition, Whinston of Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor said his faith and the faith of other religions compels them to help the stranger.  So the 37-year-old rabbi launched an effort to lead a multi-faith caravan from Michigan and other states to drive to Tornillo, Texas, to help immigrants and refugees in shelters and the growing tent camp.

On Thursday, he and other faith leaders from Michigan protested near the tent camp, singing religious songs promoting peace and justice. They also helped distribute clothes, fed immigrants, and witnessed the struggles of asylum seekers at the border. Rabbi Whinston and dozens of others from Michigan left Monday, stopping in Indiana and Missouri to meet up with other houses of worship, gathering more than 100 people for their caravan.