She stood in the fourth row of the church choir, trying to still sing the hymn as she wiped tears from her eyes with a crumpled blue tissue.
The chorus rang out above her sniffles: “All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.”
For Vicky Chavez, the words were weighted by the bittersweet anniversary they were meant to mark. It’s been one year since she was welcomed in this chapel to stay with her two daughters for as long as she needed. It’s been one year since she came here with them to avoid deportation.