"We're a constitutional advocacy impact litigation office at Georgetown Law Center, so it fit our mission and we thought it was such a compelling case," said Marshak. She told CNA she was able to visit Mission and was able to see first hand how the chapel plays an important role in the community.
The possibility of a border wall is "affecting their community in a really meaningful way," said Marshak. "I think that's just an important thing for me to remember how personal and how local this is for the people who are down there."
There will be a hearing next week on the U.S. government's eminent domain request to survey the land surrounding La Lomita for preparations for the border wall. The government is seeking to access the land for soil testing, among other things.
Bishop Flores is "unwilling to do anything that facilitates [the construction of a wall]," Marshak explained. While he is not going to give permission for the government to survey the land and potentially construct a wall, Marshak explained that the bishop would comply with a court order.
"If the government is otherwise able to do that through a court order that doesn't require the bishop to do anything, then the fact that he is unwilling to facilitate it probably cannot stop [the construction of a wall], which we recognize in our brief," said Marshak.
Christine Rousselle is a former DC Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. Prior to working at CNA, she was the managing web editor of Townhall.com; she has a BA in political science from Providence College.