People cross into El Paso from Juarez at the Paso Del Norte port of entry.
By Billie Greenwood
You probably don’t know me, but you know my work. I’ve been the Border Partners website manager almost since its beginning. I met Border Partners while volunteering in El Paso 15 winters ago. This winter I again helped process incoming immigrants in El Paso, folks seeking asylum in the US.
Volunteering in El Paso is a different type of volunteering than writing and uploading photos for you. I was face-to-face with people I hear about on the news:
- Haitians,
- unaccompanied minors,
- Central American migrants,
- families who languished in Mexican shelters for months as they awaited the opportunity to enter the US.
Billie Greenwood, in her plain volunteer dwelling in El Paso
All of them would have preferred to be back home. Wherever “home” was for them. But, they felt forced to leave. Some were forced by violence, others by poverty. These lucky “few” I served in El Paso somehow eluded the man-made barriers that trap most in peril and force them to remain in Mexico.
Border Partners, on the other hand, helps people be able to stay at home in or near the Palomas border. When living conditions improve, people don’t have to leave. Migration is hard. It’s better to help people stay.
Through its history Border Partners has weathered seasons of violence in Mexico. It remained stable throughout political shifts and election changes. It works respectfully with all people and has earned respect in return.
I’m proud of what Border Partners does. Even better, I love how they listen to people’s needs and partner—never dictate—to improve lives.
Whatever we can do to help people stay home is very important.
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