EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A coalition of faith and community leaders plans to gather in downtown El Paso for a march and vigil calling for an end to mass deportations.
The March & Vigil for Human Life and an End to Mass Deportations is scheduled for March 24, at 6 p.m. at San Jacinto Plaza in downtown El Paso.
Organizers include the Diocese of El Paso, Bishop Mark J. Seitz, the Hope Border Institute, Estrella del Paso and other community partners.
The event is being held on the feast day of Saint Oscar Romero, described by organizers as a Salvadoran bishop and martyr known for his commitment to justice and peace.
The march is expected to be led by Bishop Seitz alongside the Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar, an auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C., and identified by organizers as the first Salvadoran-born bishop in the United States.
Organizers said Menjivar came to the United States as a young man seeking protection and spent time undocumented before receiving his citizenship, and that he is an active voice for immigrants in the Archdiocese of Washington.
A first-class relic of Saint Oscar Romero is also expected to be available for veneration at the vigil.
In a media invite, organizers said, “Here in El Paso, we know that mass deportations are an attack on our welcoming identity at the border. But we can find a better solution, one that respects human dignity, the sanctity of family and promotes justice.”
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