Advertisement MissioICN Would you like to advertise on ICN? Click to learn more.

El Paso Mission Exposure Trip - 2 - Am I part of the problem?


As part of the group that is spending Holy Week in El Paso, Texas, Julia Corcoran, the Columban 'Faith in Action volunteer' in Britain, reflects on the role each of us plays as part of the many different crises around the world.

It is easy to make the refugee crisis about 'us' and 'them', whether in the USA or in the UK. We've all heard statements such as "It is our land" or "It's our jobs they are taking". We can easily separate our lives from the lives of those who are trying to leave their country. We can find it easy to disconnect and not see it as our issue. That is, unless we hear a real life story in front of us.

A constant theme of today for me was the reminder that this is our issue whether we are looking at the USA/ Mexico border or the refugee crisis in Europe. There is no 'us' and 'them', we are all connected.

This morning we went to immigration court. I was struck by how efficient the court was. Each case was brought forward to the judge and then the judge asked a few questions and a decision was made. None of the 10 or so cases we saw today involved anyone being removed (deported), but at the same time our hour or so in court left me feeling emotionally drained. My degree and Masters is in law and so I knew what to expect but still I was shocked by how the cases were decided. One of the attorneys on the phone was asked about the papers he had submitted and he admitted to not having the file in front of him. The judge seemed like an understanding but very busy judge. He even allowed us time to ask questions once all the cases had been seen. Today he will have seen 50 cases and, with that, he and the others involved must have to remove themselves from getting too engaged with cases, otherwise they too will be left as emotionally drained as I was.

This afternoon we had two talks, both having similar themes and both reminding us that the refugee crisis is not separate from us. The first was by Ruben Garcia at the Annunciation House. (Here is a link I found on one of his talks - youtube https://youtu.be/EPvzheRmijc). He talked to us for nearly two hours and discussed a variety of things, including how the issues in Mexico are due to issues of consumption in the US. He shared with us stories of people he has met and why they've tried to migrate. Each of the stories involved violence. After his talk each of us felt challenged by his words and were left feeling uncomfortable, especially when he reminded us that there is a connection between the way we act and the way the rest of the world is treated. If we only pay a small amount of money for our clothes we have to think why, and remember that somebody is suffering because of it and struggling to survive with the small amount of money they have. This lack of money leaves a gap in the market. He also reminded us that as Christians we have to remember our responsibility to work with the poor and that does not mean just giving money in aid.

Our second talk of today was given by Fr Bill Morton, a Columban priest here on the border. He reminded us of the importance of not consuming too much, whether that's electricity, water, food, internet or anything else that is either going to harm the environment or the poor. We have to remember others when we become consumers. An issue many of us struggle to remember. He discussed with us alternatives and one of the things I have been most impressed with here is the sustainability of the Columban house situated on the border. Any spare water is saved and used for watering plants or filling up the drinking water machine. Food is recycled and there are solar panels which provide more power than is used in the house.

Also today we had a fantastic opporunity to go and see the whole city of El Paso and, Juarez, which is just over the border in Mexico.
This evening we were joined in the house by the El Paso young adult ministry group (YAM). They led us in prayer, reflection and provided dinner. We ended the night with some fun games and it was a real opportunity to learn a bit more about life in El Paso, as well as a chance to share our faith with others.

Today has been a day of deep reflection that has made me think about my responsibilites and the actions I take in my everyday life. The title of this blog is 'Am I part of the problem?' And after today I'm sure that unintentionally the answer is yes but I hope that when I head back I can start to act towards creating a solution, even if that's just changing the way I act.


Julia Corcoran is the Columban 'Faith in Action volunteer' in Britain.

Adverts

Sisters of the Holy Cross

We offer publicity space for Catholic groups/organisations. See our advertising page if you would like more information.

We Need Your Support

ICN aims to provide speedy and accurate news coverage of all subjects of interest to Catholics and the wider Christian community. As our audience increases - so do our costs. We need your help to continue this work.

You can support our journalism by advertising with us or donating to ICN.

Mobile Menu Toggle Icon