politics
May 9, 2026
New Bishop Appointed by Leo XIV: A Migrant Who Arrived in the U.S. Hidden in a Trunk
The newly appointed bishop of the diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Salvadoran Evelio Menjívar, knows what it is like to arrive in the U.S. hidden in the trunk of a car, cross borders guided by a 'coyote', and carry the stigma of having been undocumented in a country that now lives under Donald Trump's anti-immigrant policies. [...]
TL;DR
- Evelio Menjívar, a Salvadoran, has been appointed bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia.
- He previously entered the U.S. as an undocumented migrant hidden in a car trunk, fleeing civil war in El Salvador.
- Menjívar became a U.S. citizen in 2006 and will be the first Salvadoran bishop in the country.
- He emphasizes that he is a defender of immigrants and will criticize policies that go against human dignity.
- His appointment is viewed as consistent with Pope Leo XIV's values, who was also a missionary.
- Menjívar hopes to foster a message of welcome, hospitality, protection, and promotion for immigrants in his new diocese.
- He believes a person's arrival method does not define their entire story.