Mt. Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico, as seen from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter on Dec. 14, 2021. (Justin Hamel for Texas Tribune and Source NM)
Las Cruces Catholic leadership says it will continue to oppose a proposed border wall across Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, as federal officials move to fast-track construction.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces owns 200 acres on the mountain situated in the Chihuahua Desert at the junction between Texas, New Mexico and Mexico, topped by a 29-foot tall limestone statue of Jesus Christ on the cross. The statue, installed in 1939, draws thousands of people every year in pilgrimage…