EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Organizers include the Diocese of El Paso, Bishop Mark J. Seitz, the Hope Border Institute, Estrella del Paso and other community partners.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A first-class relic of Saint Oscar Romero is also expected to be available for veneration at the vigil.<\/p>\n
In a media invite, organizers said, \u201cHere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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