At the Christian El Buen Pastor church in Mesa, Arizona, migrants arriving after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border now face strict limitations as they can only stay a few hours. Pastor Hector Ramirez, responding to fears of increased immigration enforcement under President Trump’s policies, has adopted a strategy to avoid potential arrests, urging migrants to leave the same day they arrive. This change has been exacerbated by fewer volunteers willing to risk their presence due to the fear of deportation, creating a more precarious environment for both the migrants and the congregation's undocumented members.
We want them to leave the same day if possible, says Pastor Hector Ramirez. Previously, they could stay overnight, but now they’re only allowed a few hours.
The strategy of care has changed a lot because we have fewer volunteers. There were volunteers who do not have documents and are afraid to come.
We do not want to put them at risk in view of the fact that at some point, the police could arrive and start asking for documents.
There are local residents, some of whom had reported the church's activities to the police on two occasions, causing fear and increasing surveillance.
Collection
[
|
...
]