Dreamers demonstrate before the Pope in El Paso

Wednesday at 4:00 pm, Pope Francis will celebrate the Eucharist in Ciudad Juarez in the area known as El Punto, next to the soccer stadium of Los Bravos and less than 50 meters from the Rio Grande, and the border with El Paso. In this mass, the Pope will address families victims of violence, migrants and indigenous people in a message of “consolation to families mired in terror, orphans and widows of this war,” according to Leonardo García, the priest in charge of the liturgy. An indigenous Tarahumara will read the prayer of the faithful in the Rarámuri language and the Our Father will be sung in Latin.

Taking advantage of this historic event, young pro-immigrant activists in the United States are coming to the area, on the United States side of the border, to denounce the siege from the United States border patrol to immigrant communities.

Julieta Garibay returned this week to El Paso where she crossed into the United States for the first time 15 years ago and, talking to residents of the district, realized that the fear in the immigrant community has grown.

“It was disturbing to see the fear of a mother with whom I spoke in the second district, the epicenter of the immigrant community,” said Julieta, a leader of the young immigrant group United We Dream that advocates for the Dreamers (undocumented youth who entered the United States before turning 16 years of age).

“It reminded me of the years in which I did not leave home for fear to find border patrol anywhere,” she said.

Leaders of several organizations from the immigrant community have gath- ered in El Paso for a strategy session and to hold a protest at the border.

Alonso René Mendoza, a university student from UT Austin, was born and grew up in El Paso, and was involved in UWD after serving as a volunteer to help other youth obtain DACA status (the temporary protection program launched by the President in 2012).

“To know many of them realized the life they have, so different from mine in opportunities,” he said. “But I am sure that they are able to be as productive members of society as any.”

The growth of the border patrol has been significant, both in quantity and presence in streets and neighborhoods, particularly in the border areas. Unlike elsewhere in the country, the policy of CBP considers as ‘border’ everything within 100 miles or less from the crossing.

“They are everywhere in the streets and neighborhoods. It is as if it was the police, but they are CBP,” said Garibay. “Why we are here, is because we want to demand that this community is treated with respect.”

Young people will come from various parts of Texas as well as Oklahoma, Arizona, Connecticut, New Mexico, New York and Washington. Together with the local community they “will ride to the border and offer testimonials about life in the militarized border zone” and pay tribute to the thousands of immigrants who died trying to get to the other side. (La Semana).