Dear Church Family,
Tuesday I walked the American side of the border from two blocks east of the Stanton bridge to one block west side of the Santa Fe bridge to see if there were access to the asylum seekers from our side. There is not. Also, they are no longer allowed to camp out on the Santa Fe Bridge as they wait there turn for processing. They are kept in a fenced area under the Santa Fe Bridge which can only be seen from the sidewalk on the bridge. I therefor begin researching where they are taken after they are processed. I was told the following by the non-profit organization that provides them shelter:
- Asylum seekers are not the ones climbing or going around the fence because they are hoping to be picked up so they might have a chance to present their case for asylum.
- They are not released into the U.S. unless they have a family member in a legal status somewhere in the states that will pay their bail, provide a bus ticket, a place to live and vouch they will appear at their court date. Immigration calls their sponsor to verify before taking bail and issuing a court date
- Immigration then transports them directly to the shelter. The shelter calls the sponsor to make sure a bus ticket will be provided within 24 hours before the shelter will take them in.
- The Annunciation House is the organization providing shelters. They take in between 500-1000 per day and provide housing generally for 24 hours at one of several locations.
- There are some asylums seekers who might be in the shelter for a longer period of time as their circumstances are worked out.
- The police and immigration officers arrests vagrants who are not in one of the shelters. Generally those are the illegals that have climbed or gone around the fence.
- The Annunciation House needs toiletries, ie; toothpaste, shampoo, toothbrushes and such.
- The Annunciation House is taking volunteers to help care for the asylum seekers.
Following is some information for the Annunciation House:
- Website – annunciationhouse.org
- Please read the About section. It tells of how it was begun with prayer and faith and the gospel of Jesus
- Please read the main page news of who the migrants are that ICE is bringing to the shelters
- Email – refugees@annunciationhouse.org
- Volunteer coordinator – Mary Bull
- Main Shelter phone number- 915-545-4509
Also, just a reminder. Today is Good Friday. We will have a time of prayer at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary followed by a pro-life presentation in the fellowship hall at 6:00 pm. I am not sure what you had planned for tonight. I have checked the TV schedule and like usual nothing really good is on. The Chihuahuas are playing but it is scheduled to start late so you won’t miss much if you come to church. The restaurants are all going to be packed and most of us are struggling to keep our weight down anyway. Your brothers and sisters in the church like you more than anyone else you might spend time with tonight. Therefore, I am pretty sure prayer and pro-life are probably your best bet for this evening. (Insert smile here.)
Your Servant,
Randy