In El Paso, Texas, Roman Catholic Sisters Leticia Gutiérrez Valderrama and Elisete Signor have established a rare, integrated care model to support immigrants facing the U.S. court and detention systems. Launched in response to intensified deportation efforts, the ministry provides a continuous chain of accompaniment that follows individuals from the courtroom to detention and beyond.
Operating with approximately 30 volunteers, the program offers immediate practical and emotional support. In the courthouse, volunteers help families prepare for potential detention by coordinating childcare or recording emergency contact information. In detention centers, the sisters and their team provide a human connection—distributing books, managing communication accounts, and visiting those who are otherwise isolated.
The model is distinguished by its holistic “comprehensive care” approach, which includes supporting the families of the detained through a WhatsApp network of over 500 members. By fostering non-adversarial relationships with courthouse staff and security, the ministry maintains access to vulnerable individuals during high-stress legal proceedings. Rooted in Catholic theology that sees the presence of Christ in the vulnerable, the initiative serves as a blueprint for faith-based migration ministry, emphasizing dignity and human rights within the immigration system.
The Queer God Squad affirms the sacred value of all people, and we are concerned with all who are marginalized or disenfranchised, whether queer, undocumented, targeted for discrimination, silence, vilified, or dehumanized and we blessed Sisters Leticia and Elisete.
