EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Diocese of El Paso, joined by community leaders and advocates, gathered on the steps of St. Patrick Cathedral in Central El Paso, to challenge President Donald Trump’s directives relating to immigration policy in his first few days in office.
“I am here with these leaders today on the steps of the cathedral to make clear that we will never be robbed of who we are. We are here today to say that El Paso is and will remain a welcoming community,” El Paso Bishop Mark J. Seitz said as he took the podium.
Faith and educational leaders, local government officials, healthcare and community advocates, all spoke resolutely denouncing the ramifications of Trump’s directives and messaging that has been pointedly tougher in dealing with migrants and immigration.
“We do not ask your immigration status when you are seeking an emergency detention order for your loved one who is going through a mental health crisis, we do not ask and seek your immigration status when you’re walking through our doors to say that you have been a victim of a crime, and there is a reason for that, because we understand the chilling effect that it has when we exclude individuals from coming through those doors,” El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez said.
Sanchez also responded to the U.S. Department of Justice’s memo on Tuesday, directing its prosecutors to investigate state and local officials who impede Trump’s immigration policies.
“We can’t be afraid to push back and to challenge that, and if there is ever a time to stand up to that, it’s now. We understand the threats of removal. There’s threats of going after you civilly and criminally, but in these elected positions and at these times you have to stand for something. And so this is the time to do it,” Sanchez said.
The main topic addressed at the news conference was Trump’s recent reversal to the sensitive locations policy, which protected spaces such as schools, churches, or healthcare facilities from allowing immigration officials to walk into their facilities and arrest suspected undocumented migrants.
“Reversing the sensitive locations policy undermines community trust. It is a fundamental attack on parents and students. It is an attack on the sick. It is an attack on those who worship God. It is an attack on our churches and faith communities,” Seitz said.
Leah Hanany, Board of Trustee for District 1 in the El Paso Independent School District, urged that the decision be reversed to protect the “sanctity” of schools.
“Let me be absolutely clear that targeting children, directly or indirectly, is unacceptable. This policy would be an attack on the safety, dignity and innocence of our children, and places them at risk in the very spaces that should be the safest, their schools,” Hanany said. “No child should have to carry the weight of fear in a classroom. No parent should have to hesitate before sending their child to school, questioning whether it is still a safe and trusted space.”
Dr. Glenn Fennelly, president of the board of Doctors of the World USA, who is a physician and pediatrician, said the elimination of this policy threatens to delay health services to those who might be too afraid to seek medical care, as well as access to critical medicine.
“The most vulnerable will bear the greatest burden, having their right to health obstructed, putting their lives at risk. In many instances, the separation of families and the detention of children will exacerbate the toxic stress that has been suffered by those who have fled violence to come here to seek safety and refuge,” Fennelly said.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, who previously said the threats coming from the DOJ created uncertainty about how he and other leaders could properly give community guidance, assured that local leaders would do everything in their power to protect El Pasoans threatened by Trump’s policies.
“This is not a community that’s intimidated. We always become stronger,” Samaniego said. “We understand the legal situations, we understand them, but we also have a right to fight back if there’s unconstitutional things that take place. If (a violation) of personal human rights are going to take place. I myself, I commit that I’m not going to move away from my lane because of any intimidation or worry (that) I am or not going to be elected. It’s the last thing I’m thinking of.”
With the potential legal battles to be forged in courts across the country as a result of Trump’s immigration policies, County Attorney Sanchez also called into action attorneys across the Borderland to help protect the rights of El Paso families, noting there are many people of mixed-status backgrounds who these policies might target.
“If you are a lawyer, if you have a legal background, you can do pro bono services. There is a need in this community to assist and to help individuals do this. If there’s ever a time to use that legal license and your legal background for something and you want to help your community, this is it now,” Sanchez said.
Bishop Seitz offered a message to migrants in El Paso and those south of the border who are still seeking asylum.
“Our hearts go out to you, and in this time when so much fear has been generated by the unbalanced statements against you, we will not lose sight of who we know you are. We will continue to walk with you,” Seitz said.
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