Pope Francis to Defend Mexicans' Rights in US-Mexico Border Dispute

Pope Francis will be spreading a message of love and compassion for the poor when he makes his six-day trip to Mexico. The Pontiff of Rome will also be defending the rights of migrants as the United States has shown its defensive stance on the issue of migration.

The Pope seeks to show solidarity for the migrants despite the United States wanting to do away with illegal immigrants. Even now, the Obama Administration has begun its efforts of deporting illegal immigrants from across the country. Many of these immigrants are families and even unaccompanied minors trying to escape violence from Central America.

The move has been heavily criticized by migrant advocates as well as many Latino groups. The raids started as early as early January and migrants, including women and children, have either been held in detention cells or deported to their home countries, Washington Post reports.

Despite the U.S. taking a defensive stance on illegal immigrants, and with presidential candidate Donald Trump promising to deport illegal immigrants in the country should he be elected president, the Pope stands in his solidarity with the migrants, reports The Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, the Pontiff of Rome is to hold Mass in Ciudad Suarez on February 17. This is significant because the place is located near the U.S. border where it is expected that over 200,000 devotees from the Mexican side alone will be in attendance.

Pope Francis wants to incorporate a sense of community despite the great divide. It is also expected that 50,000 people from across Texas will be attending. The pope has always been a staunch supporter of the rights of immigrants, being the product of Italian immigrants who fled to Argentina.

The Pontiff has also decried the injustices and discrimination given to the migrants and has given them priority, calling on world leaders to show compassion amidst a world of indifference.

Even now, the Church has opened its doors to migrants everywhere. All across Mexico, migrants can seek shelter, particularly in San Salvador, which leads up to the U.S. border.

Pope Francis is also set to address the cases of human rights violation in the country. As it is, Mexico is already one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists and media men, following the recent abduction and slaying of Anabel Flores Salazar.

The pope's visit to Mexico will usher in a message of new hope to the country where nearly half of the population is living in poverty. Despite President Enrique Pena Nieto's efforts to boost economic reform, the government is still fighting an ongoing war against organized crime.

Pope Francis hopes that his visit to Mexico might address the issue of the lack of compassion in a world where indifference has become the norm. Choosing to stand in solidarity with the migrants, the pontiff of Rome calls for those who will stand with him as well.