“Have you seen the quad?” This is the question circling Manhattan College. Catholic Relief Services student ambassadors have put up an eight-foot high chain-link fence across the quad as a mock border to bring to life the injustices that are happening at borders all over the world. Posted on the wall are visual and interactive facts about the number of people that try to cross a border each year and the struggles they face in doing so as well as signs often seen on borders around the world.

This past year, borders have been a hot topic in the news. As people read these stories it’s difficult to imagine what those trying to pass through the U.S. / Mexico, Israel / Palestine or Syria / Turkey experience. Manhattan College's mock border aims to be a powerful symbol of a serious issue.

A mock border on a college campus originated at Arizona State University. Their wall spanned 1,000 feet and created a clear inconvenience for students walking through campus. Students had to walk through "checkpoints" in order to pass through the wall. While Manhattan College’s wall is not as massive or "inconvenient" as the one at Arizona State it still hopes to have the same impact of awareness on students.

Manhattan College’s mock border coincides with Pope Francis’ trip to Mexico. The focus of his trip is to bring worldwide attention to the issues at the borders of Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and Mexico and the United States. On February 17th, Pope Francis will be celebrating Mass in Juarez, which is on the Rio Grande and borders Texas. On this day, he will also be visiting a prison in Juarez. On the 17th, to coincide with mass and Pope Francis’ visit to a prison, Manhattan College CRS student ambassadors will be tabling on the quad to provide more information for interested students.

CRS' goal with this mock border and the tabling is to raise awareness of the issues at borders all across the world and to help stop the anti-immigration legislation that is currently in Congress. If you want to voice your opposition to such legislation, click here. The CRS website provides a step-by-step explanation of what to say, and where to send your letter. It is important to remember that our Congressman is our voice in Washington. Make sure your voice is being heard.

If you’re interested in learning more about Pope Francis’ visit and the specific places he will be visiting, check out here and here.