Catholics expand support for migrants at US-Mexico border

Bishop Mark Seitz with HOPE team

Source: Diocese of El Paso

The Hope Border Institute and the Diocese of El Paso, led by Bishop Mark Seitz, announced yesterday an expansion of humanitarian support for migrants and asylum seekers in Ciudad Juárez through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund. Working in partnership with Jesuit Refugee Service Mexico and Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA), the initiative will provide emergency shelter, health care, mental health services and transportation to vulnerable persons displaced by violence, the closure of the border and increased deportations.

The announcement reflects a deepening crisis on both sides of the border. As asylum access has narrowed and deportations have accelerated, migrant populations in Ciudad Juárez face mounting humanitarian needs-many having survived trafficking, violence, or family separation. International humanitarian funding cuts have further strained the capacity of local organizations to respond.

Through partnership with DHIA, the initiative will provide immediate assistance to migrants who have experienced crime and exploitation, including emergency shelter and medical care. Through Jesuit Refugee Service Mexico, faith communities will address the acute mental health needs of those in transit-offering counselling and psychosocial support at a moment when such services have become critically scarce.

"At a time when the border is closed to asylum seekers and deportations are intensifying, our work with Bishop Seitz and our partners in Ciudad Juárez has never been more urgent." said Dylan Corbett, Executive Director of the Hope Border Institute. "The Border Refugee Assistance Fund represents something essential: the willingness of faith communities on both sides of a wall to act as one body. We are grateful to our supporters across the country and the world who make this binational solidarity possible."

Bishop Seitz, speaking at a press conference in Ciudad Juárez emphasized the theological foundation of the work. "Partnership is not a luxury in times like these-it is a necessity," he said. "Through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund, we have learned to respond with both flexibility and conviction to the needs of migrants at our border. As the enforcement campaign intensifies, its human cost is felt on both sides. Our faith communities are called to answer that cry. I am proud that this Fund is helping to lead that response."

Since its inception in 2019, the Border Refugee Assistance Fund, a joint initiative of HOPE and Bishop Mark Seitz, has provided humanitarian assistance to thousands of migrants and their families at the US-Mexico border.

The Hope Border Institute (HOPE) is a Catholic strategy centre for faith leaders pursuing justice at the US-Mexico border. Through research, advocacy, humanitarian action and leadership development, HOPE builds solidarity and the common good across borders.

For more information see: www.hopeborder.org.