SEND service/immersion trips have been a highlight of an Assumption education for years, and the lives of hundreds of AU students have been transformed by participating in these amazing experiences. This year, we will return to El Paso, Texas where we will immerse ourselves in the reality of the situation at the U.S./Mexico border. We will hear from a variety of people including immigrant rights lawyers, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, community organizers, migration scholars, and church groups who provide temporary shelter for immigrants who are transitioning from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention to various locations across the U.S. where they will stay with family or friends as they await their asylum hearing.
During the trip, we will:
*assist the Assumptionist priests and their parishioners at the shelter operated by St. Francis Xavier Church in El Paso as well as the Religious of the Assumption Sisters who operate a shelter in nearby Chaparral, New Mexico
*have a traditional Mexican lunch prepared by La Mujer Obrera, a local independent organization dedicated to creating communities defined by women, and enjoy pastries from a traditional Mexican bakery
*take in the view of the second largest binational metropolitan area in North America from Scenic Drive
*hike the gypsum dunes at White Sands National Park (see picture below).
The trip will run December 14-21, 2024, leaving campus the day after final exams for the Fall 2024 semester end. The trip is open to Assumption students and faculty. Students are invited to contact Una Murphy in Campus Ministry for more information by clicking here, and faculty are invited to contact Prof. David Crowley by clicking here. Financial aid from Campus Ministry is available for students, and funds from the D’Alzon Chair is available to support faculty participation.
Applications are due by October 31. Prior to the trip, there will be two preparatory meetings, and there will be one follow-up meeting after the trip. Check it out…you won’t regret it!
