Trinity Youth return to Mexicali Migrant Shelter
On the weekend of February 20-22, 2026, the Trinity Youth Group made their fourth journey with an interfaith team to visit La Cobina Posada del Migrante. This year our youth were accompanied by teens from the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. La Cobina is a border shelter in Mexicali, Baja California where migrants seeking asylum in the United States often stop on their journeys northward. Increasingly, the shelter has become a refuge for those recently deported by ICE as well.
La Cobina is supported and funded by the nonprofit organization Border Compassion. Border Compassion also helps facilitate crossovers for hundreds of visitors from the United States every year to serve, bear witness, and make new connections with those living at the shelter.
On March 8, the youth and adult chaperones who made the journey shared reflections about what the experience was like for them at a special coffee hour presentation. The slideshow is linked here.
“Even though we were there to help them, they felt an urge to help us” - Emma Sizer-Foell
“I learned to focus on fighting for love and humanity, not against hate and evil.” - Abby Selzler
“They were all so comfortable, and their comfortableness cleared the way for us to feel welcomed and for us to feel able to focus, not on our own discomfort, but on being present in the moment of helping and laughing and connecting with each other despite the unfamiliarness and the language barrier. True unity.” - Cata Carey-Pisani
“The shelter was so empty, yet so joyful, and I’ll carry the connections I made, that surpassed the language barrier, with me as I move through life.” -Eliza Selzler