Casa del Migrante

  Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Monday, March 26, 2007

This Catholic facility in Ciudad Juarez gives food and lodging to migrants, many of whom are poised to find employment to send money home to their families in Mexico and Central America: Casa del Migrante. "When I was homeless, you sheltered me" is the motto written across the front of the building.
 
Fr. Juan, the Maryknoll chaplain of the facility, gave us a personal tour. Since the migrants must vacate the building during the day, it was completely empty-altho it can hold up to 80 single men as well as several complete families. The numbers of migrants have gone down recently, a phenomenon we're heard repeatedly here. The Scalabrini order, who founded this place, turned it over to Dominicans awhile back and founded a new operation in Laredo (where the major migration action is these days, I hear.) All told, so far they have served:

 
The offices of the Human Rights for Migrants Office are found there, also. We met the friendly staff. I'll throw a few other random comments into the photo section.