Life on the Borderlands: Thomas More University students experience all sides of the southern wall

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Every year, a class of students from Thomas More University travels south to El Paso, Tx. In conjunction with the Annunciation House, a nonprofit that serves migrants in the region, the students engage in what is known as a “Border Awareness Experience” — which delves deep into the realities of immigration and life on the borderlands of west Texas.

Dr. James Camp, a member of Annunciation House’s board as well as a professor at Thomas More, leads the class in learning all they can before making the journey west — where students spend their Spring Break living and sharing meals among the guests of Annunciation House.

The class made Casa Vides their home, named for the Vides family who formerly were guests of Annunciation House themselves. One of the many hospitality houses operated by the Annunciation House nonprofit, Casa Vides is described as a “longer-term house of hospitality for guests with ongoing needs, such as political asylum cases, other proceedings or medical situations.”

During their stay, students shared their temporary home with a family of three, as well as another type of guest, the Mexican widows of American citizens who are required by U.S. law to spend a certain amount of time in the United States a year to receive Social Security benefits.

The class started their week exploring the surrounding area — visiting points along the border wall, places they could approach and see the other side, and places they couldn’t, and climbing Mt. Christo Rey in Sunland Park, NM, a point where the wall can not be built, making it a popular crossing for migrants on the southern border — as well as heavily patrolled by mounted border patrol officers. They also found themselves crossing the border to neighboring Juarez, Mexico, and seeing life from the other side.

The rest of the week was spent learning. With immigration, especially at the southern border, becoming (and having been) a divisive topic in the United States, students heard stories from the people of El Paso, ranging from active border patrol agents and migrant guests of the Annunciation House themselves to paint the fullest picture.

One of these storytellers was an attorney representing Estrella del Paso — a ministry of the Diocese of El Paso which provides legal aid to migrants and refugees at zero cost. The attorney taught students about the immigration process and clarified misconceptions about migrants in the United States.

“The rhetoric that immigrants leech off of government benefits is false,” she said, “Even permanent residents do not qualify for these services.” In fact, most social welfare services are only available to naturalized citizens of the United States — earned either through birthright, or after maintaining permanent resident status for five years.

And, while Catholic social teaching teaches compassion towards the migrant, the process of immigration was described as long and often impractical, with waiting times for appointments spanning months to years — a fact that leads many migrant families to desperation.

This reality is harshened by the fact that an individual must be territorially on U.S. soil to apply for asylum — something sought often by migrants from South American countries — “whether or not a person arrives through a valid point of entry,” according to Estrella’s attorney.

The attorney also explained the poor and often harsh treatment of migrants and refugees crossing the border, saying that “the problem arises when government agencies such as ICE and port of entry officers see people crossing the border as a law enforcement problem, entering conversations defensively as if every person is here to harm them or their family. Immigration policy could be improved with just a simple switch in mission — to approach the migrant with humanity,” Estrella’s attorney said.

Border patrol Officer J. Navarro was another individual to share his experience in the borderlands. Officer Navarro noted that border patrol along the southern border is overwhelmingly male — 90 percent — and overwhelmingly minority — 70 percent — with many coming from immigrant families themselves. When apprehending individuals illegally crossing the border, Officer Navarro said that “80 percent–90 percent are good people who just want their day in court, and 85 percent of people arrested by border patrol are good people with no previous criminal record.”

“Immigrants think this place (America) is the best place in the world,” said Officer Navarro, “that’s why they risk everything to come here.”

And risks are extremely prevalent, with Officer Navarro talking about how the illegal smuggling of people across the border becomes trafficking and extortion. The “coyotes,” or individuals who work in the smuggling of people, take advantage of migrants in their vulnerability and extort them for money or use them to mule illegal substances. Officer Navarro mentioned that some coyotes will even purposefully hurt someone or push them over the border wall to distract officers, including “stragglers” like children or the elderly.

These harsh realities met with the stories of the migrants themselves as students spoke to and listened to the guests of the Annunciation House. Nearly every migrant had a harrowing story to tell — either extorted or kidnapped by gangs or criminals, or having to traverse the dangerous, dense and mountainous rainforests of the Darién Gap.

“Most people want to work and be paid fairly,” said one of the guests, “In Mexico, you can work for 10 hours and be paid 10 dollars. Living is expensive. We’re only looking for better opportunities for our families.”