Owensboro Catholic charities travels to border to help with immigration crisis

May 19, 2019 | 3:15 am

Updated May 18, 2019 | 5:54 pm

Susan Montalvo-Gesser | Photo submitted

The Del Rio Sector of the United States Border Patrol in Texas has experienced a 754 percent increase in family apprehensions in the last year, forcing local migrant service organizations, including Catholic Charities, to put out a call for help. The Diocese of Owensboro answered that call, sending a team of four to Laredo, Texas for a week-long mission at the border.

According to Director of Owensboro Catholic Charities Susan Montalvo-Gesser, all eight of the Catholic Charities divisions located on the Texas-Mexico border requested assistance.

What they are experiencing, Montalvo-Gesser said, is a result of Border Patrol detention centers rising well above their intended capacities, prompting mass releases of migrants into border towns whose shelters and organizations are overwhelmed and understaffed.

After a 12-hour day of serving at the Laredo shelter, Montalvo-Gesser spoke to Owensboro Times about what she and her team have been doing the last week.

“We are taking in at least 200 people a day,” she said. “They haven’t had a bath or felt human for six weeks while being detained. We get them a shower, some clothes and in five minutes they are like new people.”

Something as small as shoelaces have been a big problem, Montalvo-Gesser said. Border Patrol confiscated shoelaces upon intake at their detention centers. The Owensboro team bought cords to serve as replacement laces.

“The smiles you see are a testament to their resiliency,” she said.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol press release, there have been 11,840 family unit apprehensions in the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector as of April 30. The release said an estimated 6,000 people have crossed illegally through Del Rio Sector’s area of responsibility and have not been apprehended.

“This is a man-made problem made by our president,” Montalvo-Gesser said.

Many have criticized the mass release of migrants without processing or plans for housing. Montalvo-Gesser said that is part of what the shelter is trying to address.

“We are trying to help them contact who they plan to stay within the U.S. and get them transportation there,” she said.

Joining Montalvo-Gesser in Laredo were Owensboro Diocese assistant Charlotte Hedges, Director of Hispanic Ministry Chris Gutierrez and Father Carmelo Jimenez of St. Michael Parish in Sebree.

Montalvo-Gesser said Bishop Bishop William F. Medley was very supportive of her answering the call of the Laredo Catholic Charities.

“It is within our mission to show dignity to every human being,” she said.
Montalvo-Gesser said a lot of the clients she sees in Owensboro actually come through Laredo, so her team’s location assignment has been very eye-opening.

Montalvo-Gesser and Hedges returned to Owensboro Saturday, while Gutierrez and Jimenez will not return until Monday. Jimenez will say mass for the shelter on Sunday before returning home, something Montalvo-Gesser said will be an honor for the Diocese of Owensboro.

May 19, 2019 | 3:15 am

Share this Article

Other articles you may like