Faith groups aid Haitian migrants, denounce mistreatment

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO and PETER SMITH
Associated Press

Faith-based groups are scrambling to keep up with fast-paced developments in the Haitian migrant crisis. They’re trying to assist those in need while assailing the harsh enforcement tactics employed against them. Before thousands of Haitian migrants recently dispersed from a camp along the Texas border, a coalition of churches provided them with sandwiches, water and other essentials. Since dispersing, many migrants have received help from faith-based groups in Houston, El Paso and elsewhere. Immigration hardliners criticize some of the efforts by religious activists, saying their efforts encourage still more migrants to come. Those providing the assistance see it as part of their religious mandate to help the needy.