Massive Church Protest in El Paso Against Trump's Immigration Policies

Hundreds of individuals gathered in El Paso, Texas, to demand an immediate halt to mass deportations from the United States. The event was organized by the Diocese of El Paso, which expressed satisfaction with the unexpectedly high turnout.

Human rights organizations joined the protest, highlighting severe budget cuts that have affected legal assistance for unaccompanied minors, leaving them to navigate the judicial system alone.

El Paso, a prominent border city in the U.S., heavily relies on migration. In the 2024 presidential elections, Kamala Harris notably won El Paso County with 56.9 percent of the vote, defying the broader trend in Texas.

Among the attendees was Cardinal Fabio Baggio from Rome, who commemorated the lives lost on various migration routes worldwide. Baggio was part of a coalition of clergy members from Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the U.S. who expressed solidarity with the protest march.

The church has consistently opposed former President Trump's stringent immigration policies, which have raised legal concerns. Trump's administration has previously facilitated the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans despite a judicial injunction against such actions. Recently, his administration revoked the residency status of hundreds of thousands and disbanded the civil rights division within the Department of Homeland Security.