Welcoming in Mexico

When we arrived in Mexico, we were warmly welcomed by Mark and Joca, the leaders of Frontera de Cristo. In our welcoming, we were taken to the American side of the border where we were able to see the wall in person. Many discussions about the wall circulate in the United States and are often labeled as something political, but during our time in Mexico Frontera de Cristo did a brilliant job at making it clear that the wall is a human problem that needs attention. 

-Nia Boyd

Realities of the Desert

It can cost 10,000 dollars to guide people across the border. It depends on where people want to cross, due to the terrain, ownership of the land, and the power of organized crime, but many have lost their lives trying to cross into the United States irregularly. This is due to dehydration and not knowing the reality that lies ahead in the desert. In 2019, a woman running from violence fell during the crossing of the fence with a harness and was left hanging from the fence and passed away before anyone could help. Many stories like this exist about people who have died in their attempt to find a better life. 

-Sarah Moore

CAPSIC 

We visited a rehabilitation center and got to know more about drug and alcohol addictions in Agua Prieta. We learned that addiction affects all kinds of people ranging from children to doctors and lawyers. They informed us that a lot of them come in nearly skin and bones when they knock on the door. We were able to talk to some of the people that help the program function and they shared with us that they once struggled with addiction, and they suffered great loss from that addiction. Many lost connections to their children, their wives, and their families. They continued by saying that they help out people who come to CAPSIC because it reminds them of the importance of remaining sober, but also because they can see a lot of themselves within the people who come to the center for help. 

Migrant Trail Walk and Vigils

We were blessed with the opportunity to walk the Migrant Trail Walk. This walk was created to honor the immigrants who lost their lives trying to cross the desert. Though we only walked the first day of the 75-mile walk, we were able to grasp the importance of events like the Migrant Trail Walk. Before we started the walk, there was a ceremony where we were cleansed of any negative energy we were carrying and walked in a circle greeting each other by hand. Once we were at the front of the border, each person bearing a cross walked across the border yelling the name that their cross held. These names were the names of people who had died attempting to cross the border.   On the cross, it also had where they were from, their date of birth, and what day their remains were found. After they crossed the border, we would all yell “¡Presente!” meaning present. The part of the walk we were able to participate in was only 4.8 miles, but the end of the walk made each mile worth it. As they repeated the same process of yelling the names on the crosses they bore, there was a sense of unity and sadness that could be felt. There was something beautiful about their spirits being able to follow us where their bodies could not. 

While in Mexico, we had the opportunity to participate in another vigil. The vigil was similar to the migrant trail walk. The main difference was that we were the ones bearing the crosses this time. And we would each walk along a strip of street, next to the canal where eight immigrants lost their lives. The crosses were structured the same way; each cross had the name of the deceased, their birthday, and the day they were found. If the body wasn’t known, the cross had “Desconocido/a” or Unknown. This vigil was very impactful. It was different being able to bear someone else’s cross to honor their essence. Someone who likely would have lived had deserts not been used as a natural deterrent for irregular immigration. 

-Nia Boyd

Heading Home

There is no way to capture all the learning that happened during our experience over the past 3.5 weeks.  We laughed, cried, bounced along bumpy roads, walked until our legs hurt, and met so many people who are committed to humanizing every person they encounter.  We were told over and over that each person has a story, often one of violence and threat of life which is hard to imagine for many of us.

We witnessed so many people working in education, health care, shelters, community centers and churches who care deeply about those who walk miles through the desert hoping for some relief from the economic, political and real threats of organized crime.  There are no easy answers but seeing people of faith embody Christ’s call to welcome the stranger was inspiring and challenging.

In our final days we were part of a cross planting ceremony where we placed a cross to mark the spot where a young man had died crossing the border.  He probably died of dehydration after walking many miles in the desert.  As we set the cross in place we were reminded that he was someone’s son, maybe a father, a brother – beloved by many with hopes and dreams that were cut short.  Seeing his name on a cross cemented in the ground close to where his body was found was a small way to say “We remember you, Alonzo” and your life was important. 

-Deanna Durham, Intercultural Program Leader

May 23 – May 31, 2024

Hotel McCoy

Our next stop was Tucson, Arizona. While in the cactus-filled city, we stayed at Hotel McCoy. Originally, it was a motel that people struggling with drug issues used to be in and out of. However, it has been repurposed into what is now a trendy hotel. This hotel is a beautiful artistic spot for travelers who want to visit Tucson. They have a beautiful pool open from 8 am until 11 pm and events for their guests to keep them engaged. They offer complimentary breakfast with an oatmeal bar (the “longest in the world!”), and there are different art pieces throughout the entire property. They offer free bikes to ride for people who may want to venture and explore the bike paths of Tucson. It should also be known that Hotel McCoy is near a bus stop, and the buses in Tucson are free of charge so you can get most anywhere for free!

-Nia Boyd

The Sanctuary Movements

While in Tucson, we visited Southside Presbyterian Church. This church is rooted in a history of helping those who have migrated to the United States. During the Judeo-Christian era, if someone ran into a church, they were safe from persecution as God would frown upon it. These are some of the building blocks upon which many religious delegations today base their service. 

The Southside Presbyterian Church used this Judeo-Christian concept when it was applied to people fleeing from violence in their country. This marked the beginning of the Sanctuary Movement in Tucson, Arizona in the late 1970s. This movement emerged in response to people fleeing from countries where they were experiencing war, death threats, violence, torture, and economic instability.  In the 1970s and 1980s, most people fled El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala seeking sanctuary in The United States and Canada. In the Sanctuary movement, church leaders aimed to help immigrants who had made it across borders. They provided migrants with a space to stay, warm food, and clothing.  Many church leaders ended up facing accusations in court, becoming felons as they were simultaneously pastors. They were said to be aiding and abetting criminals because of the services they had provided to immigrants. 

When Archbishop Óscar Romero was assassinated marking the start of a civil war in El Salvador, many Salvadorians tried to flee and seek sanctuary in America. However, the U.S. government was supporting the government and military in El Salvador, so many Salvadoreans trying to leave were denied entrance or consideration for asylum in the U.S.A. Southside Presbyterian congregants saw the impact of our government turning away so many people who were suffering. Because their homes were no longer safe, many immigrants tried to cross the border irregularly through natural deterrents, such as mountains or deserts, to reach the United States. This resulted in many people dying in their attempt to make it to America. At Southside Presbyterian church, you will find a memorial with rocks that hold the names of immigrants who died on their journey. 

The sanctuary movement quieted at the end of the civil wars in Central America but recently a New Sanctuary Movement bloomed in the Mid-2000s and is ongoing. This movement started because of threats of deportation circulating in the United States. Around 2.4 million people were deported from 2000 to 2008.  Southside Presbyterian Church is one example of welcoming the stranger and believes every human life is made in the image of God. 

-Nia Boyd

Current places of Sanctuary in Tucson, Arizona

The group learned about two different programs that assist migrants in Tucson. Casa Alitas is a safe haven for those crossing the border now and in recent years. They aid in helping migrants find their way to their families after entering the country. According to many churches in the Tucson area, all people should be met with kindness and hospitality, as the church believes in welcoming our neighbors. Some churches find similar goals and often work together to make this happen. Community relationships are so heavily valued in the community of Tucson. One example of upholding these values is direct action for those seeking asylum who must wait until their court date, which can be scheduled in places as far as New York. There is no known duration between the arrival of migrants and their asylum court date.  Some people are released to wait with family members residing in the U.S. but others must wait for their court date in a detention center.  To many of those aware of the realities at the border, detention centers are seen as prisons. Church and non-profit programs work in the detention centers to try and help detainees. They try to raise money to pay a bond to help migrants with no criminal background get out. Also, they help families communicate with their loved ones inside these facilities. 

https://www.casaalitas.org/ 

Casa Cardo is another safe place for single mothers and their children and is supported by Shalom Mennonite Congregation of Tucson. Most women are seeking asylum and need a place to sleep and stay with their children. Shalom provides five apartments where women can stay for up to two years. They hope to create a space of healing and support. They also want to help migrant women with legal issues and assist with communicating with any loved ones. They want the women to have a place to do some self-exploration and get their future started with structure. 

-Sarah Moore 

Receiving Migrants

Douglas is a small city with lower and middle-income residents along the Mexico/US border. At one point, the immigration checkpoint was the largest in the world for crossing the border. The Chief of Police in Douglas meets and collaborates with Mark Adams, Co-Director of Frontera de Cristo, a binational Presbyterian Ministry. Mark regularly informs the police and border patrol about the need for better transportation for migrants being released from a nearby detention center into the United States at Douglas. The police station in Douglas alerts Frontera when they will be releasing asylum seekers. The number can rise and fall dramatically depending on US policy changes and migration patterns. However, at the time we were visiting, two of the main Douglas churches, Presbyterian and Luthern, that have taken the lead in providing resources for migrants, had been burnt down. During a six-month period, the Catholic church became involved and welcomed over 8,500 people who were released into Douglas. Mark says it was astonishing to witness, and recognizes what big hearts people have in this border town. At this point in time, there are far fewer people attempting to cross in this region. Mark shared that the majority of people are going to Tucson, and so Frontera works closely with Casa Alitas (see blog entry above). 

A misconception we learned about is that the public tends to assume the government is paying for plane tickets and other forms of transportation for migrants. Local churches and nonprofits, along with family members, bear the cost of transportation and many of the urgent needs of migrants waiting for their asylum appointments.  

We learned that people cross the border in different ways. Some people avoid border patrol and walk through the desert in over 100- degree sun. This is a treacherous, and often deadly option.  Some want to be picked up by the border patrol because they are fleeing violence, and their lives are in danger in their own country,  so they wish to exercise their legal right to apply for asylum. They essentially give themselves up to border patrol agents. The retired border patrol (BP) agent we talked to claims that BP  treats them the same. They take all of their information and do background checks, processing each person. If someone expresses a fear of returning to their home country, then the next step is to make sure they have due process and a legal process of verifying the person’s claim begins.

Some people are caught by BP but are not fleeing violence and choose to return voluntarily.  If someone does voluntarily return, there are fewer penalties legally, but extremely harsh realities that they will be met with if they return home. This creates a harsh reality of not knowing when to be honest and how to get help. Additionally, detention centers are operated through contracts and the government through the Department of Homeland Security. Many are private corporations making large profits from holding people in detention.  This promotes a mentality of profit for human bodies. The facilities get paid by the amount of beds that are full, not based on the needs of the people, nor do they have their best interest at heart. 

-Sarah Moore