NBC News:
By Griselda Nevarez
February 17, 2016
For
Guillermina Castellanos, the Pope's message on compassion for
immigrants is personal. Though she and her nine children are U.S.
citizens, the California resident said
her husband has been living in the U.S. for about 20 years and has not
been able to legalize his status. Every time her daughters see a police
officer drive up behind them, they're afraid that their father will get
pulled over and get arrested for being undocumented.
"I
tell them, 'Don't be afraid. The cop won't do anything to your dad,'"
Castellanos said. "But they still live with that constant fear."
The
Pope's trip to the city of Juárez, Mexico on Wednesday is drawing
hundreds of thousands of faithful on both sides of the border. But as
the eyes of the world descend
on the Pontiff's visit to the area, some U.S. families like Castellanos
say they want to ensure that people focus on the Pope's message of
compassion and dignity for immigrants.
Castellanos
was one of 150 women from across the country who took part in a
pilgrimage across the border to call attention to immigrants' lives. The
women met in El Paso
Tuesday morning and crossed the border to Juárez through the Paso del
Norte International Bridge. Once in Mexico, they met with women from
Juárez and prayed together inside a cathedral that is dedicated to the
Virgin of Guadalupe.
The
women from both countries prayed together for those who have died
trying to cross the border and for those who had crossed into the U.S.
but have since been deported
and separated from their families.
While
some of the faithful have journeyed to Juárez to stay until the Pope's
visit, the group of women returned to El Paso, a few steps away from the
border, where they
will be when Pope Francis celebrates mass. In this border city the
group went to a federal courthouse to observe how immigrants are
prosecuted and, in many cases, ordered deported through a program called
Operation Streamline. They concluded the pilgrimage
with a closing mass and dinner at the Sacred Heart Church in El Paso.
"Our message to immigrants is that they're not alone," Castellanos said. "We are fighting for them every day."
Many
of the pilgrimage participants were also part of a group of women who
in September set out on a 100-mile pilgrimage from Pennsylvania to
Washington, D.C. They arrived
at the nation's capital just before Pope Francis addressed a joint
meeting of Congress and met with President Obama.
"Last
September, we asked the pope to be a voice for immigrants," said Juana
Flores, a former nun who participated in both pilgrimages. "He did that,
but we saw that it
didn't produce results. We still see deportations and raids happening
in our communities."
Pope
Francis has repeatedly spoken about the plight of immigrants and
refugees. During his visit to the U.S. in September, Pope Francis urged
compassion for immigrants
during a speech to Congress. He delivered a similar message during his
six-day trip to Mexico that will conclude after he celebrates mass in
Juárez, not far from the border.
Flores
and the other women who participated in Tuesday's pilgrimage are
hopeful that through his trip to the border, the pope will call
attention to the plight of migrants
trying to cross the border in pursuit of a better life in the U.S. as
well as how current policies are affecting the lives of undocumented
immigrants and their families.
"This
is a pope who hasn't been afraid of speaking out about immigration, and
we are very thankful for that," said Flores, who is co-director of
Mujeres Unidas y Activas
in San Francisco. "I have a lot of faith that his words will lead to
big changes."
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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