IMPORTANT UPDATE / URGENT
Due to the recent changes in U.S. visa policy, some of our students—especially those living in Ciudad Juárez—are being affected. New rules require all F-1 student visa applicants, both new and returning, to undergo enhanced screening. This includes public access to social media, documentation of online activity, and broad reviews of “hostile attitudes”—a term that remains undefined and open to wide interpretation.
These requirements are slowing the process and placing our students from underserved communities at a disadvantage. Priority is being given to students at large universities, not schools like ours, where 40% of our students are international and many face financial, political, and logistical barriers.
In response, we are preparing to offer hybrid learning this fall—with some students attending in person, and others learning remotely from across the border. Whether they are in El Paso or Juárez, our commitment is the same: our students will continue learning, and we will continue teaching, supporting, and offering scholarships.
But we need your help to make this possible.
Urgent Funding Needs:
Student Devices
Internet Access Support
Digital Curriculum & Learning Platform
Teacher Technology
IT Infrastructure
Setup & Training
WAYS TO GIVE
Give by Text: Text DONATE to 915-292-2200
Mail check to Lydia Patterson Institute / P.O. Box 11 / El Paso, TX 79999
Advocate: Please contact your elected officials and urge them to support a fair and timely resolution to the student visa changes affecting LPI and other border schools. Your voice matters.
We can’t do this alone. Your prayers, your advocacy, and your generosity make it possible for us to keep moving forward—together. Our students are resilient, but they need us all now more than ever.
Students and parents may contact Dina Salazar at LPI for personalized support or updates related to student visa issues.
Email: d.salazar@lpi-elpaso.org
Phone: 915-533-8286
For more information about giving or to offer additional support, contact:
Domingo Betancourt, CFRE
Director of Development and Communications
Email: lpi.development@lpi-elpaso.org
Phone: 915-888-5305