Young Adult Border Trip

Young Adult Border Immersion

April 24 - 28, 2024

Las Cruces, NM

About

The Evangelical Lutheran Church Churchwide Office, Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service), and Border Servant Corps are partnering to invite young adults to participate in a border immersion.

This is an opportunity for young adults to travel to the US-Mexico border to experience an accompaniment-style immersion program, where relationships and first-hand educational experiences about border issues are prioritized. You will speak with first-generation immigrants, meet with local organizations working with immigrant populations, government officials to hear about border protection and law enforcement, learn about immigration law, and build an understanding of economic policies and realities affecting people on the border.

Spending time in the borderlands will provide you with a first-hand experience that can inform your perspectives and engagement in your own community and maybe—just maybe—allow each of us to listen, learn, and engage in a way that can bring us together for the better.

FAQ

When

Spring 2024 - Applicants open January 23, 2023

Participants will travel to Las Cruces (into El Paso, if flying) on Wednesday the 24th to get in early in the evening, and will depart in the afternoon/evening of the 28th

Spots

We will select 14-15 participants that will travel along with staff from the ELCA and Global Refuge.

Eligibility

You may apply to go on the Border Immersion trip if you are:

18 - 35 years of age
Connected to the ELCA or Global Refuge (formerly LIRS), with priority going to those who are connected to our partners
Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and agree to adhere to local, state, and federal COVID guidelines during immersion including mask mandates and social distancing guidelines
Able to bring documentation of your citizenship or immigration status that are valid through the end of your Border Immersion trip, as you will have to go through either a TSA checkpoint at the airport or a major highway checkpoint

Cost

Program costs, including lodging, housing, food, & transportation during the immersion are fully subsidized through ELCA Young Adults, Global Refuge, AMMPARO, and ELCA Advocacy

A refundable $50 deposit is required

Participants are in charge of financing their own transportation to and from El Paso, TX (or Las Cruces, NM, if driving). If this or the deposit pose a significant financial barrier, scholarships are available.

Participants are required to participate in trainings before and after, as well as become a Global Refuge Ambassador for one year.

Schedule

The intention of the Border Immersion is to allow participants to experience the borderlands in a variety of capacities. For this reason, each Border Immersion day includes a presentation from a government entity, a presentation from a humanitarian aid organization, and a chance to hear someone’s personal migration story. Programming typically starts after breakfast and concludes before dinner. This ensures that participants have time in the evenings for group/individual reflections and downtime. Schedules are subject to change due to the unpredictable nature of border work.

A full schedule will be sent to participants at least a month before the immersion.