Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, traveled to El Paso, Texas, to participate in the “Do Not Be Afraid” March and Vigil for Human Dignity dedicated to supporting migrants and asylum seekers, and those providing humanitarian support to them, including local Catholic charitable agencies at the border that face increasing challenges from the Texas state government and other factors.

The Diocese of El Paso and Hope Border Institute organized the March 21 march and vigil, given recent laws and policies such as SB4, legal attacks on the Annunciation House by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and humanitarian workers from that community, and the first anniversary of the deaths of 40 people in a fire at immigration detention centers in Ciudad Juárez on March 27, 2023.

“While the southwest border is a critical point of this crisis, it impacts all parts of the U.S. It is important for all to be in solidarity when threats against humanitarian assistance are made as has been the case against Annunciation House in El Paso. Catholic Charities agencies throughout the country need to stand in solidarity,” Monsignor Kevin Sullivan told The Good Newsroom regarding his visit to El Paso, Texas, to be part of the march and vigil.

The march began in Plaza San Jacinto and ended at the Church of the Sacred Heart, where the vigil, organized by Bishop Mark Seitz, Bishop Anthony Celino, and religious and community leaders from across the border, later took place. There they called for community resistance and prayer to affirm the welcoming border, protect the freedom to put faith into action, uplift the rights and dignity of those who migrate, defend humanitarian workers, and commemorate those who die at the border.

The following day, Monsignor Sullivan participated in a religious leadership meeting at the Hope Border Institute offices, to discuss the importance of faith in reinventing a society that welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates migrants amid systems of dehumanization, racism, and criminalization. The meeting also looked at how to address the main external and internal challenges in supporting people who are on the move, pastoral and advocacy strategies to defend and promote the humanitarian dignity of migrants, worker safety and creation of more welcoming societies, the path forward to achieve justice for all recent and veteran migrants, and concrete ways to renew collaboration, pastoral approaches and advocacy.

Regarding his participation in this leadership meeting, Monsignor Sullivan told The Good Newsroom about the most important subjects of the conversations. “At the forefront of topics was the need for ongoing perseverance in responding to the global crisis of more than 100 million displaced people worldwide. In addition, the divisive and angry tenor of the discussion of immigration was of major concern. Focus was on developing ways to engage in dialogue across various borders and boundaries.”

Additionally, he highlighted what he saw during his visit regarding the work being done at the border to help those seeking asylum.

“The main work at the border is basic, immediate, humanitarian relief to those entering the United States after harrowing experiences in their own countries. This is critically important, and transitional as most migrants want to settle more permanently in other parts of the country in places like New York.”

Finally, Monsignor Sullivan added that “the crisis in the southwest is about dealing with the overwhelming numbers seeking temporary immediate help. This strains all those responding, nonprofit agencies and government. Some of the government responses were very dismaying, such as putting razor wire in the rivers.”