Friday, October 25, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
The southern border of the United States has long functioned as a political symbol of national security, territorial integrity, and rule of law. People who are migrating across the southern border are often painted as criminals, invaders, or in other dehumanizing terms. Yet Pope Francis reminded the world in his September 19 message on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees that “God not only walks with his people, but also within them, in the sense that he identifies himself with men and women on their journey through history, particularly with the least, the poor and the marginalized.”
Organizations and workers providing relief to these migrants have been targeted legally, politically, and physically in recent years as debates around migration and border enforcement have become increasingly volatile. Given the salience of border security issues in U.S. political debates, especially as the 2024 presidential election approaches, this gathering for Georgetown students will examine the effects of media narratives and political rhetoric around U.S. southern border migration. Featuring Ruben Garcia, executive director of Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, it will explore how those narratives affect the experiences of people who are migrating and the work of those seeking to ensure that their migration is dignified and humane.
Christian Soenen, projects manager of the Initiative, and Zeena Alfayez, president of the Migration and Refugee Policy Initiative, will co-moderate the conversation.
This in-person gathering is only open to Georgetown students, faculty, and staff and is co-sponsored by the Migration and Refugee Policy Initiative, a student organization at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
Participants
Ruben Garcia
Ruben Garcia is the executive director of Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, a non-profit supporting migrants and refugees. For over four decades, Ruben has been a dedicated advocate for social justice and a leading voice for humane immigration policies and the protection of human rights.