By Elket Rodríguez The pastors on the front lines of Fellowship Southwest’s Immigrant Relief Ministry do not labor alone. Their strongest allies—their spouses—support, encourage and fortify them as they fight hunger, deprivation, exploitation, injustice and vulnerability all along the U.S.-Mexico border. These women’s tenacity, commitment and passion is unparalleled. They willingly sacrifice most of their … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez COVID-19 has transformed Fellowship Southwest’s immigrant relief ministries all along the U.S.-Mexico border. Among the pastors who guide the effort, some are reinventing their ministries, others have identified new service opportunities, and still others have suffered losses and obstacles that put their work at risk. Yet they demonstrate resiliency only achieved through … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez A crisis among global immigrants who hope—or who once hoped—to obtain asylum in the United States is playing out in desperation and hunger hundreds of miles from the U.S-Mexico border. Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state, is one of the world’s most important migration corridors. Races, nationalities, hopes and frustrations clash in Chiapas. Northbound … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez People of faith are helping provide a buffer of protection between the coronavirus and thousands of immigrants along the United States border, a government leader in north central Mexico reported. “The best (protective) efforts have been working side-by-side with organizations of faith, specifically the evangelical churches,” Enrique Valenzuela said of the government’s efforts to contain … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez Care packages brightened the day for 90 refugees living at Albergue Juventud 2000, a youth shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, early this week. Pastor Juvenal González handed out the little boxes containing high-demand hygiene products that are hard to get in Mexican immigrant shelters. “We gave them boxes with shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, wet wipes, … Continue reading
By Elket Rodríguez Prompted by COVID-19, desperation is starting to sink into refugee camps on the border. Some immigrants are leaving the camps, others are moving to shelters, but not many are taking buses to Mexico’s southern border to return to their home countries. Worse, some are thinking about sending their children to enter the United States unaccompanied. This is the somber humanitarian tragedy of the … Continue reading
Por Elket Rodríguez Impulsado por COVID-19, la desesperación está comenzando a inundar los campos de refugiados en la frontera. Algunos inmigrantes abandonan los campamentos, otros se mudan a refugios y no muchos toman autobuses hacia la frontera sur de México para regresar a sus países de origen. Peor aún, algunos están pensando en enviar a sus hijos a Estados Unidos solos, … Continue reading
The global COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted virtually every community in the United States. Of course, some communities are far more vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 than others. The immigrant community on the southern border of the United States is certainly one of these communities that is vulnerable to the public health and societal impacts … Continue reading
By Marv Knox Compassion and concern, faith and fear, respect and resolve crackled across the country as pastors who comprise Fellowship Southwest’s ministry to asylum seekers talked on the phone March 25. They spent almost two hours telling each other about their work with refugees on the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as their concerns for … Continue reading
By Marv Knox NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO—Lorenzo Ortiz, a Texas pastor who operates three immigrant shelters in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, stayed behind when the U.S. and Mexican governments closed the border to all “nonessential” travel at midnight Saturday, March 21. Mutual concern about the transmission of COVID-19 led U.S. and Mexican policymakers to shut down border … Continue reading
