Parts of this article is also an edited excerpt from an article by Aria Jones, that first appeared in El Paso Times on 06 July 2019.

Artists flew into El Paso from across the country to protest the detention of immigrants through poetry, music and dance Friday.

Artist Uprising at the El Paso Border was held outside the Border Agricultural Workers Project, 201 E. Ninth Ave., which is between two international bridges in South El Paso. It was organized in about a week through collaboration between the Border Agricultural Workers Project, La Mujer Obrera, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas and One Billion Rising.

Rosemary Rojas, president of the board of directors for the Border Agricultural Workers Project(BAWP), said the event was organized quickly after reports of alleged mistreatment of migrants at border facilities.

“It’s critical now,” she said. “Children are being held in cages now. Mothers are without their babies. Families are without their children.”

In a note posted on Facebook, Carlos Marentes of the BAWP noted, “Friends, we would like to thank you for your support of the Artistic Uprising event this Friday, July 5, 2019. We thank our sister organization La Mujer Obrera and the other groups that participated. Our wholehearted thanks to the local talent, singers, poetists and poets, to the visiting groups and particularly to the border agricultural workers who worked very hard to help us fulfill our task as hosts”.