FAQs

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United States citizens require:

• A U.S. passport or passport card.  Even an expired passport works if you are a US citizen. Passports are not required to enter the country but are required to show when leaving the country. 

Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) require:  

•  valid Permanent Resident Card.

Mexican citizens require:

• Valid passport with a valid I-94 or multiple entry visa and Border Crossing Card (if applicable)

I (Sr. Suzanne Jabro) am your hostess and I will go with you and help guide you across the border. If needed, I am available for zooms with your group prior to the trip. I am available to group leader(s). I will help you plan your group's pilgrimage into Mexico. 

You will need cash for a taxi which cost $6 for the trip. (Not $6 per person) Usually, 2 or 3 ride in the taxi. We take turns paying. It is important everyone bring exact change for transportation. No one will have change for you in Mexico.  

Crossing over to Mexico is quick and your bags will be x-rayed. (I recommend roller suitcsases for easy transport to store any donations you choose to bring)   Upon returning, the line can be long. Plan for an hour wait.  

Once you cross back into the United States, you will need to get a taxi back to the hotel.  Have your uber/Lyft app ready and/or the number of the taxi company.

If you decide to drive across the border in your own car, we recommend that you take out insurance for the day. There are many places near the hotel which offer this or you can get it online and pay there. 

Mexicali is generally considered safe for tourists.  Use common sense such as using the designated taxi stands, staying together and not showing off your cash or goods.  

Dress casually. Tennis shoes or sandals are best. Check the weather but it's usually warm and sunny. Summer months are brutally hot and thus Border Compassion does not sponsor cross overs in July, August and September. 

Every faith-based community is asked to bring $2000 for groceries for the month. The shelter community is food insecure.

Games, activities, projects and lessons for kids such as paints, art class, egg hunt (Easter)  bracelet making supplies, bubbles, coloring books, faith based ceremony supplies, pinatas, etc. 

In the past, people have brought toiletries, undergarments, socks, clothing, blankets, stickers, candy, balls, toys, etc.  It's up to you! When in doubt, simply ask me!

New or gently used clothing.  If you bring used clothes they MUST be clean, gently used (no stains or rips), folded, unwinkled and organized into bags for men, women, boys and girls.   NO TRASHBAGS! They are heavy and difficult to carry across the border.  Use bags with handles or carryon roller bags.  You are encourged to leave these bags for the migrants to keep.  The goal is to be able to set out the clothes on tables quickly and efficiently and it helps tremendously if they are already organized.    Bring roller-bags with donations that you can leave for the migrants because they need those for when they travel to the United States.

Also keep in mind that the migrants are usually thin so small and medium clothing is the most needed.   Few clothes should be in the Large and XL range.   Any footwear like flip flops, sandals and tennis shoes are also very useful for kids and adults alike.  

There aren't many infants present so no need for an abundance of baby clothes or infant diapers.   However, pull ups or larger diapers are good.  

Several groups come from a distance. Some prefer to come the night prior and stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Calexico with me! We go out to dinner and plan for the day. Some even want to spend the night after the trip and then go home the next morning. Others prefer to go early in the morning and get to the Holiday Inn Express by 9:00 a.m. We leave the shelter at 3 pm and get across the border about 4 pm and arrive at the  hotel by 4:15pm.

Volunteers from: Orange County, San Bernardino, Palm Desert, San Diego  usually go and come on the same day. Those from LA or Santa Barbara or the Bay area often stay one night prior. Others spend two nights and take advantage of community dinners. The hotel has a complimentary hot breakfast which is served at 6 am.

We have had folks fly into El Centro and meet us at the hotel before crossing and we have had others fly into Palm Springs and drive two  hours to the border.

Some stay at a hotel in Mexicali which are very nice and cost exactly the same or less than staying in the US.  

No. It is helpful if you have a partner who does speak Spanish. Some English only volunteers have an app on their phones which translates conversations which are bi-lingual. Download one before coming.   Those who speak Spanish are encouraged to speak with the adults and get to know them. Several staff are  bilingual.  99% of migrants speak Spanish only. 

There are no major safety concerns in the neighborhood of the Posada. We are only two miles inside the Border. We travel by taxi to the shelter and return by taxi. We spend the day outdoors in the gated courtyard of the  shelter. The shelter looks like a motel 6. There are bathrooms in every room so bathrooms are plentiful. Border Compassion pays for lunch for visitors and residents on the day of a cross-over. We eat with the  asylum seekers.   

Everyone in the shelter has registered for an immigration appointment on their cell phone. They wait in the shelter for a few months for an  appointment. The notification on their phone will indicate the date, time and location of the appointment. Usually these are in Mexicali or Tijuana. These are the local ports of entry now. The applicate asks for which port of entry they prefer. 

Asylum Seekers have to be called up for their immigration hearing and they have to be on the list! When they are called for their appointment, they must have a rapid test for Covid, show proof of vaccination, and submit the name, address and phone number of their sponsor in the USA.

If approved to cross into the USA, they might spend a couple days at Catholic Charities Immigration hotel. No one pays for transportation to their sponsors. Bus tickets and flights are usually paid for by the sponsor. 

All the migrants/staff/most volunteers are vaccinated. Asylum Seekers are diligent about vaccinations because they must have shots before entering the USA. They are tested when entering the USA. A nurse is on staff and takes care of testing. There is a procedure in place for isolating and attending to those who are covid positive. 

We're always here to help. Contact us today and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Yes.  Our newsletter highlights each trip we take including the information about the upcoming schedule and how to get involved from afar! 

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