‘Really had a lot of misconceptions’: Texas faith leaders visit southern border

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Nexstar) — A small group of Texas faith leaders was on the border in South Texas this week, hoping to help find common ground on the immigration crisis.

“Really had a lot of misconceptions about what was going on,” Elia Moreno with the Texas Christian Community Development Network said.

Moreno, who lives in the Amarillo area, said her visit wasn’t what she expected.

“I truly believe that sometimes, politicians may create a narrative that would cause fear in the population that they represent,” she said. “And I know that I was one of those people that was fearful to come over because of the narrative that is in place … I believe the misconception is that we have all these people coming across the border to take advantage of the system.”

It’s no secret there’s a divide when it comes to our immigration system.

As border communities deal with large groups of migrants trying to cross over, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans blame the Biden administration for borders not being secure enough, allowing drugs and criminals into the U.S.

The group of Texas faith leaders there this week was hoping to share their experiences, helping to put more focus on people instead of politics.

“Today, we will get to see the unaccompanied minors,” Dametra Stevenson with the Texas Christian Development Network said.

For the past few days, they’ve worked with pastors in Brownsville and Mexico and have seen where migrants, who are seeking asylum, are staying.

They volunteered their time to get a better understanding of what some families seeking a better life are going through.

“We’re not going to wish away undocumented people. We’re not going to wish away the asylum seekers … so what can we do to be our very best at what is happening now?” Moreno said.

The faith leaders said they plan to build partnerships with ministries along the border to help communities better deal with asylum seekers.

They also want to organize more group trips to the border, so more people can get involved to work to find solutions.