"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:31 A mural at Good Neighbor Settlement House To each of you followed along with us on this journey, we want to thank you. The seven of us left for McAllen, Texas at the end of June and …
Trump’s “3rd Country” Rule
While working at the respite center on Monday, we came across an NPR headline that read, “Trump Administration Implementing ‘3rdCountry’ Rule on Migrants Seeking Asylum.” This policy states, "an alien who enters or attempts to enter the United States across the southern border after failing to apply for protection in a third country outside the …
Nomenclature of Migration
There is a topic which lacks clarity and sparks much debate – one which we even pondered at our very first meeting to plan for this trip. Are the individuals crossing the U.S. southern border asylum seekers? Refugees? Immigrants? From what I have learned at Clark University, working at a refugee resettlement agency in Colorado, …
The Myth of Overcrowding
Today a curious thing happened: When our team arrived at the respite center, instead of the usual 500-1,000 asylum seekers, there were only 20. It's no coincidence that Vice President Pence came to visit one of the McAllen detention centers on Friday. Normally, when detainees are released they are bused by CBP to the respite …
Brownsville to Matamoros
On Wednesday, our team departed McAllen for Brownsville, where we'd be spending the next few days working with another organization called Team Brownsville, which coordinates volunteers to serve dinner at a camp directly at the Mexican border in Matamoros. When we arrived at Good Neighbor Settlement House in Brownsville that afternoon, we prepared two large …
Beware of Over-Sensationalizing
This Friday, Vice President Mike Pence is coming to McAllen to tour the Ursula Detention Center, visit the Rio Grande, tour the Anzalduas International Bridge, and be briefed by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). At the same time, there is also a protest at 9am at Ursula, which we plan on attending. Last …
Representing the Migrant Crisis
A lovely gift I received while working the bar The first thing you see when entering the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center is what we’ve been calling “the bar.” The bar is where incoming immigrants receive their hygiene kits and everyone can request specific hygiene products such as diapers, sanitary pads, and suelo (Pedialyte). One thing you …
Pity is Passive.
We have now been in McAllen for a week, working at the Humanitarian Respite Center (HRC), exploring the area, and speaking with locals. In total, I would estimate we have worked about 60 hours over the course of 6 days at the HRC. My greatest take away thus far is this: Trade your pity for …
A Portrait of the Respite Center
Before we started working at the Catholic Charities Respite Center, it was difficult to envision what our work would actually look like. We had a general idea of what we would be doing (organizing donations, handing out supplies, etc.) but had very little idea of what kind of environment we would be working in or …
McAllen in the Media
Curious to see the border, four of us drove 15 minutes to Anzalduas Park at 8:45 on the 4thof July. The 96-acre park sat along the Rio Grande, decorated with swing sets, pavilions, and a pier. Totally free and open to the public, the park was quite beautiful and serene. I think we were all …
Los Traquerxs 