Borderlands – El Paso, Texas, & New Mexico

Dates: 4/6-4/11
Location: Domestic
Price Range: $2900-3500
Theme: Culture, Language & History
Faculty Contact: Emma Ferguson

El Paso Border

EPS and World Leadership School partner with various organizations to provide students with a unique and humanizing view of immigration in the Borderplex region.  Students will fly to El Paso, Texas and will quickly be immersed in complex Mexican-American culture.

The students will dive into a busy week filled with interactions with a diverse range of organizations. Students have a chance to see first-hand the government agencies responsible for controlling the border, including the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. District Court; they will hear from local NGOs to learn about the migrant workforce efforts and legal advocacy initiatives; and they will meet the leaders of a network of nonprofit agencies in El Paso, which provide shelter, food, legal aid and other services to migrant workers, undocumented immigrants, and asylum seekers who pass through El Paso. On the final day, the group visits White Sands National Park at sunset.

  • Students and families should be aware that this experience includes: 
    • Travel to and from El Paso, Texas, with extended time in an urban desert environment 
    • Exposure to hot, dry weather and significant time outdoors visiting community organizations and border areas 
    • Engagement with complex and emotionally challenging issues surrounding immigration, social justice, and policy 
    • Visits to government facilities, courts, and nonprofit agencies that serve migrant and asylum-seeking populations 
    • Opportunities to interact with people whose lived experiences may differ greatly from their own, requiring empathy, maturity, and respect 
    • Structured reflection and guided discussion to help process and contextualize learning experiences 

Itinerary

The border area around El Paso (Texas), Las Cruces (New Mexico), and Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) is pulled between the conflicting realities of the USA and Mexico. Because of its history, the region represents a fascinating window into the complexities of the U.S.-Mexico border – and, in fact, the complexity of many international borders around the world.  

While the debate over U.S. immigration rages on, a tight-knit community of government and non-profit agencies continues to adapt to the ebbs and flows of migration over the border near El Paso and Las Cruces. El Paso has been ranked the safest large city in the U.S. for four consecutive years, in front of New York City and Austin. Its standing as one of America’s safest large cities is due in large part to the cooperation between all the different organizations, government, nonprofit, and business, which come together here at the border. 

In this program, EPS and World Leadership School partner with various organizations to provide students with a unique and humanizing view of immigration in the Borderplex region.  Students will fly to El Paso, Texas and will quickly be immersed in complex Mexican-American culture. The students will dive into a busy week filled with interactions with a diverse range of organizations. Students have a chance to see first-hand the government agencies responsible for controlling the border, including the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. District Court; they will hear from local NGOs to learn about the migrant workforce efforts and legal advocacy initiatives; and they will meet the leaders of a network of nonprofit agencies in El Paso, which provide shelter, food, legal aid and other services to migrant workers, undocumented immigrants, and asylum seekers who pass through El Paso. On the final day, the group visits White Sands National Park at sunset. 

Accommodations during this trip will be at a Franciscan retreat center in triples or doubles, and students will be asked to commit to WLS’s “unplugged” policy (no cell phones on the trip). 

While this trip will explore the complexities of the U.S./Mexico border, we will stay on the U.S. side at all times. No passport is required to participate in this experience. If you have questions or concerns about our potential interactions with Border Patrol, accommodations with a religious affiliation, the “unplugged” policy, or any other aspect of this trip, please speak with Profe Ferguson to get more information and make an informed decision about whether this experience is a good fit for you. I am happy to discuss your concerns with you! I also recommend you speak with students who have participated in previous WLS trips about their phone-free experiences; they will likely convince you it’s worth it! 

Planned Itinerary for the Borderplex EBC: 

Please note that, despite our best attempts to plan thoroughly, unanticipated circumstances and last-minute changes to the itinerary will happen. Be flexible and remember that adapting to change is a critical skill for future leaders working in global settings! 

Day 1

  • Evening arrival in El Paso, Texas
  • Community Orientation and Welcome Dinner with Border Servant Corps

Day 2

  • Visit to Federal Immigration Court & Processing Center in Las Cruces
  • Immigration 101 with Crystal Massey

Day 3 

  • Visit to the Mexico/US Border and meeting with Border Patrol agent – SDG #16 (Peace,

Justice & Strong Institutions) 

Day 4

  • Morning visit with Raices del Saber (Bilingual school) – SDG #4 (Quality Education)
  • Storytelling and gorditas making with Carmen Hernández

Day 5

& Asylum Seekers) – SDG #10 (Reduced Inequalities) 

Day 6

  • Walking tour of downtown El Paso and picnic lunch at Chamizal National Memorial
  • Transfer to El Paso airport for return flight

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