Founder of Migrant Shelter Challenges ‘Migration Myths’ At STM Event

On Sunday evening, Yale University’s Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel (STM) hosted Father Luis Eduardo Zavala de Alvas to mark the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Zavala is the founder of the migrant shelter Casa Monarca in Monterrey, Mexico. 

Through his shelter, Zavala has provided housing, food, schooling, and medical assistance to migrants, many of whom are victims of violence. He described how due to stricter U.S. border enforcement, Casa Moncara has shifted from hosting migrants “in transit,” and now acts as a community center to help families reintegrate. 

In his Sunday lecture at STM titled, “From Resilience to Integration,” Zavala redirected migration from a political lens and instead framed it as a moral and theological issue that must be addressed through cooperation. Zavala stressed the role of local governance and due process for migrants, as well as the need to combat xenophobia. 

“Migrants and refugees are not pawns in the chess board of humanity,” Zavala told attendees. “We need to think about the universal network of collaboration founded on the protection of dignity and the centrality of the person.”  

Zavala’s lecture comes as migration crises worldwide are increasingly fraught. As of late 2024, the United Nations (UN) estimated that 123.3 million people around the world were forcibly displaced, an increase of 7 million people as compared to 2023. The UN furthers that 73 percent of refugees are hosted in low-and middle income countries. In one hotspot, Zavala referenced a UN report that estimated around nearly 8 million displaced Venezuelans who currently reside throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. 

In an attempt to “depoliticize” the crisis, Zavala strived to debunk “migration myths” and instead focus on what he described as the loss of human dignity through current border enforcement policies. He further emphasized that political discourse often undermines the labor contributions of migrants. 

“Many cities in California depend a lot on the agricultural work of Mexicans coming to pick up fruits and vegetables,” Zavala said. “I think the state has a sovereignty to do whatever it wants in order to not raise the number of refugees coming inside of this country. But, however, they already have a million people undocumented and it’s very challenging for a comprehensive reform and partisan reform for migration in the country.”

On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV weighed in on the “inhuman” treatment of immigrants in the U.S., adding that such treatment conflicts with the church’s “pro-life” message. While acknowledging the complexity of the topic, he noted that it is important to use the teachings of the Church to navigate migrant crises worldwide. 

Zavala similarly described how traditional Christian theology can serve as the foundation for understanding the struggles of forced displacement. “Jesus is the stranger who asks for shelter, who suffers like all who suffer, is exiled, beggar and discriminated against,” he said. “We need to fight against xenophobia and racism. Because of that, we need to link our faith with how we treat others,” he continued.

The Trump administration’s pursuit of “efficient and expedited removal” of migrants, which often includes carrying out deportations without a hearing in immigration court, has inspired advocates like Zavala to seek fair legal procedures and viable pathways to legal status for migrants. “If this is a democratic country with high values … they deserve the due process of law before getting into the deportation process,” Zavala added.

In his closing remarks, Zavala encouraged the audience to empathize with the reality of the migrant struggle rather than believe political myths. “Just touch a shelter. Touch the life of refugees. Touch the life of people coming and suffering and looking for a better life. And that will completely change your mind and your life.” 

Zavala announced that Casa Monarca will soon welcome 126 new refugees in light of Monterrey’s expanding job market.