Officials cite unity between Ojinaga
and Presidio residents;
denounce proposed border barrier

By GUILLERMO M. MORALES

OJINAGA, Chih., MEXICO – By way of a bi-national Mass that took place on the bank of the Rio Grande on Monday, officials voiced their rejection of a border wall between Mexico and the United States.

“The citizens are doing their part by participating in these organizations,” said José Luis Cisneros, a Chihuahua state representative. “This is indispensable and they are contributing to the benefit of the immigrants.”

After a homily by Bishop Monsignor Armando X. Ochoa of the El Paso Diocese, in which he spoke in favor of the immediate realization of temporary job programs in the U.S. for illegal workers, various participants of the event backed up the initiative but under the condition that Mexico meet the same standards.

“We are sticking to our agreement concerning the arrival of repatriates who are in need of help,” said Guadalupe Rivera Rodríguez, representative for the National Migration Institute (INM). “Therefore we are bettering our international relations so that there may be safe and orderly deportations.”

“We’ve attended to the coordination of physical safety, health, protection of goods and, above all, respect for human rights,” said Rivera Rodríguez. “The Catholic church’s message is a very important warning to both nations and states that there should be an improvement for our countrymen.”

“We have to do more for the migrants in the United States,” said Presidio Mayor Lorenzo Hernández, “by helping them with words of strength and prayers, and taking in to account that they are going to work to help us and that they have families to maintain."

“We, as civil servants, have to work for the modification of laws in benefit of the migrants,” added Hernández. “We are a brotherly community and that is why there is no mistreatment in our area. Many of the migrants are relatives.”

Hernández agreed with the priests that met in Ojinaga for the binational Mass and stated, “A wall is not going to separate us. We have to be more united than ever and we must show it, because God knows no borders. As sister communities, we cannot and should not be separated, and for that reason we don’t back up the construction.”

Cisneros added, “The responsibility of the Mexican authorities is to assure opportunities so that those of us, who live in this country, don’t have the need to migrate.”

According to Cesar Carrasco, mayor of Ojinaga, the event shows that Ojinaga and Presidio remain united in spite discrimination and of the U.S. lawmakers that intend to build a border wall. Legislators were invited to the Mass to see for themselves how united the two cities are.

Juan Blanco Zaldívar, ex-mayor of Chihuahua, stated that the bishop’s position was strong and leaves a clear precedent.

“Now we know what the church’s position is in relation to migrant workers and it has already proposed solutions,” said Blanco Zaldívar. “We’ll have to listen to them up close and follow up on them. This is a world issue and there must be order instated to start temporary work programs.”

“Mexico,” said Blanco Zaldívar, “will have to be more insistent and will have to lead to negotiations: more and better job opportunities in Mexico; the possibility of temporary job programs in the United States.

Blanco Zaldívar added that as ex-mayor of Chihuahua he has been left with the feeling that cities in the U.S. need more workers, not only in the fields but in other areas, such as nursing and carpentry which, due to the population growth of the U.S., aren’t enough for the demand.

(Translation by Miriam Halpern Cardona)