Del Camino Jesuit Border Ministries

Oct 21

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he immediately closed off the legal pathway to entry for vulnerable asylum seekers. It completely transformed the border dynamic. Researchers estimate that around 5,000 migrants and asylum seekers remain strained along the border in northern Mexico,...Read more

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he immediately closed off the legal pathway to entry for vulnerable asylum seekers. It completely transformed the border dynamic. Researchers estimate that around 5,000 migrants and asylum seekers remain strained along the border in northern Mexico, most of whom have been there since Trump closed down legal entry. Some of our long term partners in ministry continue to do incredible work accompanying this population, like Kathy Harrington and Andrea Rudnik from Madrinas de Justicia (Godmothers for Justice). Aid cuts have placed tremendous strain on local shelters and non-profits, but the resolve to serve continues to drive us.

Oct 20

We are excited to welcome Savi Arvey, the Director of Policy for Refugee and Immigrant Rights at Human Rights First. Savi runs the flight monitor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain of ICE Air, a massive operation of the government to ...Read more

We are excited to welcome Savi Arvey, the Director of Policy for Refugee and Immigrant Rights at Human Rights First. Savi runs the flight monitor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights. In this episode, she pulls back the curtain of ICE Air, a massive operation of the government to contract private airline companies to move and deport migrants. She talks about forced third country transfers, and if you do not know what that is, you are going to want to know. It is shocking that our country is doing this to people, and by the thousands. Juan and Brian share stories that reveal the importance of vital information. Brian talks about a recent encounter with Susana, a Honduran woman who thought she was falsely deported because she is married to a U.S. citizen. Unfortunately, she was missing some vital information. Juan recounts his dramatic encounter with Mexican police as he helped to translate for Rhonda, a migrant from Zimbabwe. Rhonda and her daughters had been kidnapped, and it was vital information that got to her aunt in the U.S. that helped save their lives. Listen now.

Oct 16

The Archdiocese of St. Louis filed a lawsuit over restrictions preventing priests from distributing communion and hearing confessions in a local ICE detention center. A handful of priests make visits to the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center regularly, including Fr. David Kiblinger, SJ. But th...Read more

The Archdiocese of St. Louis filed a lawsuit over restrictions preventing priests from distributing communion and hearing confessions in a local ICE detention center. A handful of priests make visits to the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center regularly, including Fr. David Kiblinger, SJ. But the jail only allows priests to use phones to talk to detainees through a glass partition. This prevents them from giving holy Communion or hearing confession, which cannot be conducted over a phone. Priests have also not been permitted to celebrate Mass inside the detention center. The lawsuit argues that detainees are being denied their basic right to spiritual care. We strongly agree with the Archdiocese and applaud them for fighting for access to the center. We are able to make regular visits in our area, and we see firsthand how impactful the ministry can be.

Oct 15

Bishop Brendan Cahill, the current chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, joined Rev. Walter Kim in issuing a joint statement, "A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate." They write: "As evangelical and Catholic leaders, we are aware that the vast majority of thos...Read more

Bishop Brendan Cahill, the current chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, joined Rev. Walter Kim in issuing a joint statement, "A Call for Christian Compassion and Wisdom in the Immigration Debate." They write: "As evangelical and Catholic leaders, we are aware that the vast majority of those currently subject to detention and deportation are Catholic and evangelical Christians. Roughly one in 12 believers in this country either faces the loss of legal status or shares a home with someone who does. Their fear is our fear; their tears are ours to wipe."

Oct 13

We are very excited to welcome Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ, the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. She talks about the important work of Catholic Charities accompanying families that have been separated by immigration enforcement. She also shares the harrowing story of Sr....Read more

We are very excited to welcome Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ, the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. She talks about the important work of Catholic Charities accompanying families that have been separated by immigration enforcement. She also shares the harrowing story of Sr. Letty, a Catholic nun who was picked up by ICE on her way to church this summer. It is crazy to hear all the efforts from Sr. Norma as soon as she got that urgent phone call telling her: “Sr. Letty has just been handcuffed and taken away!” Juan and Brian share examples of people who allow their faith to lead them. Juan tells the story of Alexa, a woman from Venezuela who lost her newborn daughter just a month after birth. Now a new family tragedy back in Venezuela has her feeling distant and powerless. Where can she turn for support? Brian shares the story Marcos and Elvia, along with their two adult children and 3-year-old granddaughter Ada. After Ada’s father was murdered, the family fled Honduras. When Brian found out they were visiting a local soup kitchen on Saturdays, he was not surprised. But when Elvia explained why, he was totally stunned.