This morning we heard from two volunteers with the organization Scholarships A-Z. This non-profit helps undocumented students discover the scholarships and educational opportunities available to them. The two young men we heard from in particular were top of their classes and were well on their way to successful careers... or, rather, they would have been if they had different legal status.
The men's stories were compelling. Their families were driven here by threats of violence; their parents literally crossed the border to save their children's lives. As these men approached high school graduation, they realized that they could not get in-state tuition at colleges because of their status, and international tuition was cost-prohibitive. This is the story for thousands of children who have lived most of their lives in the United States.
Scholarships A-Z started when one young woman compiled a list of scholarships that were available to her, even as a person without legal resident status. The organization was influential in getting a local community college here in Tucson to allow undocumented students with DACA status to attend with in-state tuition!
After that, we had lunch and some free time. We took it to walk around the community... enjoying gluten-free donuts and the city's "best coffee." All of our meals here are vegetarian (and delicious!), so one carnivore among us took the opportunity to visit a Senoran Hot Dog stand. :-) It was great to take that time as a group, to connect socially without the mental and emotional intensity that our learning has required.
When we returned, we had the honor to meet Jon Fife, a Presbyterian minister who has lived his faith in an active way for decades. Jon pastored Southside Presbyterian Church (where we attended the vigil last night) for 35 years. He was indicted in the 1980s for smuggling and harboring refugees from Central America. As he explained to us, when he - along with a group of other clergy and lay people - realized the atrocities these refugees had endured, their faith wouldn't allow them to NOT do what they could to help, given that those who were deported were routinely questioned, tortured, and murdered. For them, "being a Christian" did not simply mean they went to church and prayed; it meant they made personal sacrifices to help those who were victims of unjust systems.
This was inspiring for every person in our group. How are we, as faith leaders, called to help when we see injustices happening around us?
We discussed how this is of particular significance with last year's increase in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the borders. These kids are now living in communities across the country and are fast-tracked to be deported to the brutality they risked their lives to escape.
As we as a group have reflected on the trip thus far - on all we have seen and heard - we are beginning to ask more questions. Different questions.
As I write this, the rest of my team is sleeping soundly here in the dorms at BorderLinks. We are all enjoying our time here (especially the food!!!) and are preparing ourselves to be stretched even more in the coming days.
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