Please find below a statement from Bishop Seitz, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, on the tragic fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juarez:

Upon hearing of last night’s news in our sister city, I express my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families of the 39 migrants who died in a tragic fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. I also extend my prayers for the swift recovery of the 29 individuals, who sustained severe injuries in the incident.

I have been in contact with Bishop Jose Guadalupe Torres Campos, expressed my prayerful solidarity with him and the faithful of his diocese, and offered support to him and the people in his pastoral care in the Diocese of Cd. Juarez.

This tragedy underscores the urgency of addressing the complex humanitarian crisis that has continued to unfold unabated in our border community. Our brother and sister migrants, who are in many cases fleeing extreme violence, persecution, and extreme poverty, deserve dignity, compassion, and the protection of their human rights as children of God. As a faith community, we are called to respond to their suffering with love, empathy, and support.

I will continue to call for just and humane immigration policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people.

As we mourn this devastating loss, I call upon people of all faiths and goodwill to join me in prayer for the victims and their families. May our collective efforts lead to meaningful change and help prevent such tragedies from occurring.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, D.D.
Bishop of El Paso