Hope Border Institute

Hope Border Institute is one of a number of organisations operating in El Paso which has been involved in recent events at the US-Mexican border concerning United States immigration policy. Its founding was a direct result of Pope Francis's direction that the Catholic Church should dedicate greater resources to supporting migrants in the Americas.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/church-walks-walk-immigration |title=The church walks the walk on immigration | National Catholic Reporter |access-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215213249/https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/church-walks-walk-immigration |archive-date=2017-02-15 |url-status=live }} It is a designated 501(c)(3) organisation.{{Cite web|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472575199|title=Hope Border Institute – Nonprofit Explorer|first=Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Ken Schwencke, Brandon Roberts, Alec Glassford|last=ProPublica|website=ProPublica|date=9 May 2013 }} The founding executive director of the Hope Border Institute is Dylan Corbett, who was formerly an official of the Vatican's [https://migrants-refugees.va/ Section on Migrants & Refugees] as well as the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting of Integral Human Development, and who previously held positions in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund, the institute has provided support to initiatives and shelters in El Paso and in Ciudad Juárez which are responsible for the humanitarian needs of migrants arriving to the US-Mexico border.{{Cite web|url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/bishop-seitz-hope-border-institute-announce-b%e2%80%8border-refugee-assistance-fund%e2%80%8b/|title=Bishop Seitz, HOPE Border Institute announce 'Border Refugee Assistance Fund'|author=Staff Report|date=July 29, 2019|website=El Paso Herald-Post}} This has been in partnership with the Diocese of El Paso.{{Cite web |url=https://www.elpasodiocese.org/border-refugee-assistance-fund.html |title=Border Refugee Assistance Fund - Diocese of el Paso |access-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225165503/https://www.elpasodiocese.org/border-refugee-assistance-fund.html |archive-date=2019-12-25 |url-status=live }} This activity is directly connected to the U.S.-Mexico border crisis.

In January 2019, the Department of Homeland Security instituted the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) or "Remain in Mexico" policy. This policy causes some asylum seekers to spend extended periods of time waiting in Mexico after arriving at the US-Mexican border with the intention of claiming asylum.{{Cite web |url=https://www.lawg.org/all-about-the-remain-in-mexico-policy/ |title=All About the "Remain in Mexico" Policy | Latin America Working Group |date=13 February 2019 |access-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126061214/https://www.lawg.org/all-about-the-remain-in-mexico-policy/ |archive-date=2019-11-26 |url-status=live }} The institute has been involved in policy campaigning concerning this issue, alongside providing support for migrants affected by this policy change and leading local community groups organising against the policy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hopeborder.org/remain-in-mexico|title=REMAIN IN MEXICO|website=hope-border-inst}} One policy research analyst at the organisation highlighted the conditions Mexican asylum seekers endured as a result of the Remain in Mexico Policy, pointing to the freezing conditions for people sleeping beneath the three bridges between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/12/23/us-mexican-asylum-seekers-ordered-wait|title=US: Mexican Asylum Seekers Ordered to Wait|date=December 23, 2019|website=Human Rights Watch}}

Hope Border Institute has been vocal in criticizing the Trump administration family separation policy, in part because much of this separation has occurred in El Paso.{{Cite web |url=https://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/all-rights-for-all-without-borders |title=All Rights for All, Without Borders | Groundswell |access-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710232231/https://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/all-rights-for-all-without-borders |archive-date=2018-07-10 |url-status=live }}

The organisation has provided advice concerning both the details of this policy development, and how to mount effective challenges to it.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hopeborder.org/faqs-family-separation|title=HOPE: Family Separation at the Border FAQs|website=hope-border-inst}}

In 2017, the Hope Border Institute and the Borderland Immigration Council (BIC) launched a series of reports detailing the human impact and moral consequences of developments concerning the United States' immigration system, and the alleged militarization of the southern border.{{Cite web|url=https://www.borderlandimmigrationcouncil.org/discretion-to-deny|title=Discretion to Deny|website=borderlandsic}}

• Simon, Theodora; Tapia, Edith; Corbett, Dylan. 'Discretion to Deny: family separation, prolonged detention, and deterrence of asylum seekers at the hands of immigration authorities along the US-Mexico border.' Borderland Immigration Council, (February, 2017)
• Tapia, Edith; Perez-Bustillo, Camilo; Beller, Elli. 'Sealing The Border: the criminalization of asylum seekers in the Trump era.' Hope Border Institute, (January, 2018).https://7dac4932-ebde-4b1a-96f5-fac5c6bec362.filesusr.com/ugd/e07ba9_909b9230ae734e179cda4574ef4b6dbb.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
• 'Principles for Comprehensive Immigration Reform', Hope Border Institute, (2019).
• Tapia, Edith. 'Border Observatory: US Immigration Court Observation Manual.' Hope Border Institute, (2019).

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.hopeborder.org/about-us Hope Border Institute]

{{Immigration to the United States}}

Category:Organizations based in El Paso, Texas

Category:Migration studies