On Sunday, President Joe Biden toured the border city, including the Bridge of the Americas port of entry. During the president’s visit, hundreds of migrants sought food, water, and shelter at Sacred Heart Church in Downtown El Paso.
Timothy Perea is a volunteer and church Pastor. He said that he’s appreciative of the president’s visit to witness the humanitarian crisis at the border. However, despite whatever political party is in power, his mission is to help those who are less fortunate.
“We have to consider [that] it’s a humanitarian crisis. These people are human beings. And regardless of what team I belong to, whether the red or the blue shirt team, I’m a Christian so I’m called to serve,” he said. “Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but at the end of the day, I do want to be a part of that solution, and I think providing [for] people behind us, immigrants, our brothers and sisters, food and hope is what I’m called to do.”
In President Biden’s roughly four-hour visit to El Paso, he met with multiple government representatives, including El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, Texas Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott.
Perea said that while it’s important for government officials to recognize the strain at El Paso’s border, what’s more important is having boots on the ground, and volunteers ready to help people who are in need.
“We can blame game and choose to take sides. But at the end of the day [the migrants] are human beings. And as a human being, if I was in their shoes in their situation, I would expect somebody to help me out.”
On Sunday evening, the president left to Mexico City for the North American Leader’s Summit to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
