100-plus faith leaders visit RGV to learn about more about immigration
MCALLEN, RGV - Following a visit to the Rio Grande Valley faith leaders and clergy from across Texas are now heading to Washington, D.C., to advocate for a change in immigration policy.
More than 100 members of numerous religious denominations spent two days in the Valley recent. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting with asylum seekers in Matamoros, just across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The asylum seekers, mostly from Central America, are hoping to start a new life in the United States.
Frances Knipp hails from Louisiana but now lives in Dallas. She participated on the Valley tour.\xa0
\u201cI cannot speak for the whole group but I think the purpose (of the visit) is to bring a moral voice to this issue, the immigration crisis and how we treat the children of God,\u201d Knipp told the Rio Grande Guardian.
\u201cWe live far away from the border. Dallas is an eight hour drive and so we needed to come here and see and witness. Some of it is witnessing, some of it is praying for the people. Some of it is meeting other people who care and want to help.\u201d\xa0
The two-day trip was organized by the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Sponsors included U.S. Christian Leadership Organization, North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, North Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, San Antonio Regional Justice for Our Neighbors, and American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.
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