WORCESTER, Mass. — A group of 13 college students from Worcester will travel to the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, Saturday morning.

This is the fourth time Assumption University has made the trip since 2022.

Deacon Paul Covino said the goal is for students to understand what's happening at the border and with immigration.

Students will participate in two days of lectures by migration experts, an immigration lawyer, members of border control and the Assumptionists, who run a shelter at the border.

They'll also work at the temporary shelter for migrants.

“This is one of the largest national issues in our country right now,” said Covino. “And so we want our students to be able to go and see firsthand here from a variety of perspectives. One of the things we always talk about at Assumption is pursuing truth in the company of friends. And so, our hope with these trips is for our students to have an opportunity to pursue truth firsthand as students, as faculty members in El Paso, and to do so in a company of friends."

The group returns to Worcester next Saturday.

Covino said in years past when speaking directly with migrants, many said they don't want to leave their home country but said they have to because of violence and economic issues.