Pilgrims walk across border to echo Pope Francis’ message

Dozens of women and men made a pilgrimage from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso to bring awareness to the hardships immigrants face.

The group wants to echo Pope Francis’ message of compassion for immigrants and refugees.

On Tuesday afternoon, a chorus rang throughout the Albert Armendarez Senior Federal Courthouse.

“We shall live in peace,” the pilgrims sang as they held signs. One sign read “sacred rights.”

“Immigrants continue to live with the fear that at any moment they can be separated through deportation from their loved ones,” Andrea Mercado said.

Mercado is co-chair of the group We belong together.

The group walked to the courthouse from Juarez, crossing the bridge on foot

“We advocate for laws that protect immigrants and against the injustices and cruelty in our immigration systems,” Mercado said.

Last year Mercado and 100 other women walked 100 miles to bring awareness to the plight immigrants.

“We were just really inspired by his message of compassion toward immigrants and that every life has worth,” Mercado said.

The group marched through South El Paso with members like Ezzie Dominguez, a cancer survivor who couldn’t walk four months ago.

Dominguez is marching to spread the word for those who are undocumented like her husband.

“For me, as a mother, it inspires me to continue the fight to keep my family together, to keep my son by my side, to keep fighting for my husband,” Dominguez said.

“I personally feel that our stories have the power to move mountains so when someone meets Ezzie who’s a cancer survivor, who couldn’t walk here a year ago but decided to walk 100 miles because her husband is undocumented, I think that moves you and touches your heart,” Mercado said.

On Wednesday the group will be at the border fence as the pope gives his blessing for immigrants.