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 when entering Mexico but are required to show when entering back into the USA. 

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 the 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 each taxi ride. (Not $6 per person) Usually, 2 or 3 ride in the taxi. We take turns paying. We take 4 taxi rides total. 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 suitcases 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 is 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, piñatas, 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, unwrinkled and organized into bags and labeled 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 encouraged 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 or relocate in Mexico.

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 are not many infants present so no need for an abundance of baby clothes or infant diapers.   However, pull ups or larger diapers are good, as there are many elementary aged children.

Several groups come from a distance. Some prefer to come the night prior and stay at the Hampton Inn in Calexico, California 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 come early in the morning and get to the Hampton Inn by 9:00 a.m to go on the crossover with everyone. We leave the shelter in Mexicali, Mexico at 3 pm and get across the border about 4 pm, arriving at the hotel by 4:15pm.

Volunteers from: Orange County, San Bernardino, Palm Desert and San Diego usually go and come on the same day. Those from Los Angeles, 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 starting 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 USA.  

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 bilingual. 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 crossover. We eat with the asylum seekers.   

Currently (2026) the Border is CLOSED. No one is able to seek asylum to cross into the USA. 

Currently (2026) the main reason why people and families stay at the shelter is due to fleeing from violence from their home country. This is happening in all countries around the world. Now even in the USA, people who have lived in the USA for years are self deporting because they are afraid of ICE, afraid to be taken from their families and community and sent to a detention center, afraid to be shipped to another country they know nothing about. They are starting over, the shelter is a place of refuge as they figure out their next steps.

All the migrants/staff/most volunteers are vaccinated. 

When the border was open asylum seekers had to be 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 are 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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