MERCEDES, Texas - Valley Interfaith has been conducting neighborhood walks, house meetings, and civic academies to understand the pressures facing families across the Rio Grande Valley.
These face-to-face conversations in congregations, schools, nonprofits, and neighborhoods have shaped the organization's Agenda of Issues.
The group held its 2026 Accountability Session at the Knights of Columbus Hall Events Center in Mercedes, Texas, on October 11. More than 600 parishioners attended.
At the accountability session leaders brought the pain and pressures facing Valley families to light. They shared stories and asked candidates to commit to working with Valley Interfaith to respond to issues such as food assistance, healthcare and mental health, workforce development, flood prevention and safe water, immigration, and data center transparency.
At the end of the session the Rio Grande Guardian secured an interview with Father Kevin Collins of St. Eugene de Mazenhod Catholic Church. Here is a video recording of the interview:
MERCEDES, Texas — Bringing the pressures facing working families across the Rio Grande Valley to the forefront,Valley Interfaith hosted its 2026 Accountability Session on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Knights of Columbus Hall Events Center in Mercedes.
The event capped months of neighborhood walks, house meetings, and civic academies held in local congregations, schools, and community centers across Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy counties. Leaders used the gathering to present the organization’s agenda directly to political candidates, securing commitments on issues ranging from food assistance and healthcare to immigration reform and data center transparency.
Following the event, Father Kevin Collins, pastor at St. Eugene de Mazenod Catholic Church in Brownsville and a leader with Valley Interfaith, spoke about the significance of the turnout and the purpose of the session.
Father Collins described the accountability session as a vital tradition for Valley Interfaith, framing it as a community-driven initiative that turns traditional campaigning on its head.
"Tonight we’ve had what we call an accountability session. It’s something that Valley Interfaith has done many, many times in the past," Collins said. "It’s a reverse of a campaign. It’s our campaign. I tell the candidates that they didn’t come here for their campaign. They came here to hear our campaign and the issues that are important to us—especially the working and poor families that are part of our institutions and congregations."
The event drew a massive turnout from across the region, including families from Willacy, Hidalgo, and Cameron counties, alongside students enrolled in the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA), a workforce development program aimed at lifting local residents into higher-paying careers.
When asked about the top regional issues presented to candidates, Father Collins highlighted three major areas of concern spanning federal, state, and local levels:
"The biggest one, if I was to say, is the immigration enforcement that’s gone too far here in the Valley, and it’s just been devastating to families," Collins explained. "Every other week I have somebody coming in whose family member has been picked up... they just don’t know what to do. It’s a terrible thing that’s happening."
The human impact of current immigration policies was underscored during the session by Jose, a young local resident who shared his personal story with the audience.
Jose told attendees that after his father was previously deported, his mother was picked up by immigration authorities just weeks ago and remains in a detention center. His remarks brought the room to its feet in a standing ovation.
"Jose was powerful. His remarks were powerful," Collins reflected. "That young man deserves a lot of credit for stepping up and being put in a situation that he really shouldn’t be in, with his family separated. It’s very much against the dignity of the human person that we preach for all the time."
According to organizers, nearly all candidates in attendance—representing both the Democratic and Republican parties—committed to supporting Valley Interfaith’s agenda items.
However, organizers noted that several candidates failed to attend, despite receiving invitations sent out as early as July.In Valley Interfaith tradition, empty chairs marked with a "No" were left for absent candidates to signal a lack of engagement to voting members.
"It’s a question of respect to the people," Collins said regarding the absentees. "These are the people who are going to go vote... But regardless, our most immediate step right now is to get people out to vote in November."
Collins added that following the election, Valley Interfaith leaders plan to meet with all elected officials—whether they attended the session or not—to establish working relationships and push for legislative solutions on regional priorities.
Valley Interfaith's complete legislative agenda across state, federal, and local levels is available on their official website and Facebook page.
