Local citizen joins peacemaker delegation to U.S./Mexico border

Anna Lisa Gross, Bethany Seminary student and local church office manager, travels to Tucson, Arizona on Tuesday May 27, as part of a delegation sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT).

With an economy dependent on cheap, migrant labor, the U.S. (including Richmond) is in a complicated position as it deals with immigration issues. In the wake of the U.S. Congress' inaction on comprehensive immigration reform, millions of immigrants contend with a broken system that takes advantage of their contribution to the economy, yet promotes the criminalization of immigration offenses.

Meanwhile, mothers and fathers desperate to provide for their families continue to make the risky trek into the U.S. from Mexico. U.S. Border policies in recent years have forced migrants into increasingly dangerous and remote areas, causing more than 200 deaths annually in the Arizona desert. In response, Christian Peacemaker Teams has had a seasonal presence along the border since 2004.

Members of CPT's Borderlands delegation will monitor human rights, meet with representatives of human rights groups and government officials, and carry out a nonviolent public witness confronting unjust immigration policies. They will visit individuals on both sides of the border. The delegation will be based in Tucson and Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, and travel to the Mexican cities of Agua Prieta and Juarez.

Gross will return on Saturday, June 21, ready to share what she has learned about the challenges facing the people in the U.S./Mexico border region.

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. CPT sends teams of trained peacemakers to places of conflict around the world, with a seasonal presence in the Arizona borderlands since May, 2004. For more information about CPT contact the Chicago office at 773-277-0253, CPT.org.