Vatican City, Oct 5, 2025 / 07:00 am
Sister Norma Pimentel is known as “the immigrants’ nun.” For over a decade, she has directed the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) Humanitarian Respite Center, a humanitarian aid center located in McAllen, Texas, on the border with Mexico. From there, she has provided assistance to people who arrive in the United States seeking asylum.
According to Pimentel, the increase in arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expel immigrants who lack legal status in the country has unleashed a climate of fear in communities.
‘Raids are taking place everywhere’
“People are extremely afraid ... they know that nowhere is safe, they pick you up anywhere, and you can’t even go to the supermarket because raids are taking place e