Father Rahm Avenue and Street Car Shut Down Amid Migrant Crisis

Welp, if you have been living under a rock lately or haven’t turned on the news in the past few weeks then you may be wondering why in the world the City of El Paso is closing streets. 

Now, if you have been watching the news lately then you know the answer to that question is because of the migrant crisis our city is dealing with.

In a press release sent out by city officials, it was announced that part of a Downtown street next to Sacred Heart Church, Father Rahm Avenue, would be closed immediately between South Oregan and South Mesa Street.

“The closure is a necessary public safety precaution needed to attend to the growth of migrants who have arrived in the area over the last several weeks,” read the release.

Sacred Heart Church is the location where hundreds of migrants have been camping out and where hundreds more are expected to camp out once the lifting of Title 42 happens on Thursday, May 11th.

City officials went on to say that this closure will also allow city staff the chance to clean and maintain the area.

El Paso Streetcar Closure:

If you had any plans on taking the El Paso Streetcar the next few weeks, your plans have been canceled for you.

This past Sunday, May 7th, officials suspended streetcar service along both the Lower and Upper Loops to accommodate the City’s response to the humanitarian migrant crisis issue impacting Downtown City services.

The El Paso Streetcar will be suspended until further notice.

Politics aside, what’s happening in our own city and our sister city of Ciudad Juarez is sad and for some, scary. It’s like something out of a movie, but what brings me comfort is seeing the kind acts that El Pasoans still do to make sure these migrants feel safe.

El Paso strong is more than just a phrase. It’s a way of life.