The end of the American dream: No asylum in the U.S.
Valeria Méndez de Vigo
Valeria Méndez de Vigo is a volunteer with the Kino for the Border initiative, Nogales, Mexico.
Created to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the so-called Title 42 has become the U.S. government's excuse to deny international protection to migrants.
Walter (not his real name) comes from El Salvador, is a hairdresser and is gay. In his country, he survived an assassination attempt by the maras, who beat and stabbed him. "I lost everything. But I am alive." He fled his country and arrived in Mexico, where he crossed the Sonora desert. He was petrified. He turned himself to the U.S. Border Patrol and applied for asylum. Despite telling them his case and showing them his scars, the agents expelled him to Mexico. Her dream is to get to the U.S. and open a beauty salon.
Luisa (not her real name) and her 10-year-old son come from the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They fled from a husband and father who abused them for 12 years. In the days following their escape, someone murdered their family member. Luisa believes her husband, linked to organized crime, took revenge. She is terrified and feels unsafe in Mexico. She dreams of being granted asylum in the United States with her son and starting a new life free of violence.
Rita (not her real name) is 30 years old and comes from Nicaragua, where she spoke against her government's policies and risked imprisonment. She fled to Mexico, crossed the U.S. border, and turned herself to the patrol, but they sent her back to Nogales, Mexico. She was molested twice on her way to Mexico. She wants to apply for asylum in the U.S.
I am writing these lines from Nogales, Mexico; it is one of the world's hotspots for migration, sharing the border with the United States. Our initiative comprehensively accompanies migrants. We offer various services (shelter, dining room, clothing, labour, psychological and medical clinics) to them. We collaborate with other organizations in providing legal advice. We also seek to influence public policies in Mexico and the United States; so that policies may become more just and humane towards forcibly displaced people.
According to Human Rights First, more than 10,000 people have suffered "kidnappings, murders, torture, rape and other violent attacks" after being deported to Mexico.
Unfortunately, the possibility of obtaining international protection in the United States for Walter, Luisa, Rita or many other displaced people fleeing their places of origin due to organized crime, gender-based violence or political persecution is, at present, minimal.
In recent years, the Trump administration impeded international protection and infringed on the right to asylum. Under the Migrant Protection Program, known as “ Stay in Mexico,” asylum seekers were required to wait in Mexico for their claims to be adjudicated. The program has led to the expulsion of numerous people, mostly from Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela, and has put them in grave danger, as noted by Human Rights First, which documents more than 1,500 attacks and kidnappings in Mexican border cities. Fortunately, on August 8, the Biden Administration announced the end of the Stay in Mexico program.
But international protection and the right to asylum continue to be violated under the so-called Title 42, legislation put in place in 2020 that closed the borders to prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus, but today prevents forcibly displaced people from seeking international protection, with very few exceptions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on April 1 its intention to end Title 42 by May 23, 2022, believing that the number of coronavirus infections no longer justified the need to maintain the policy. However, Arizona, Louisiana, and Missouri sued the CDC in Louisiana district court with the intent to retain Title 42 (subsequently, other Republican states joined the suit). The district judge ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, so Title 42 remains in effect.
U.S. ports of entry are closed; migrants who make it across the border are evicted and denied asylum claims. Title 42 has led to the expulsion of two million people to Mexico, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, among other countries. In addition, according to data compiled by Human Rights First, after being denied the opportunity to apply for asylum in the United States, more than 10,000 people have suffered "kidnappings, murders, torture, rape and other violent attacks" after being expelled to Mexico.
Social and human rights organizations, including the Kino Border Initiative, demand that the U.S. and Mexican governments open legal and safe channels, promote access to protection and security for displaced people in Mexico, and reestablish the right to asylum by eliminating Title 42. Likewise, social organizations insist on humane treatment and policies for migrants, denouncing the numerous cases of abuse and rights violations by authorities (such as mistreatment, confiscation of belongings without return, nighttime deportations including minors, etc.). In addition, since many displaced people are stranded in border cities, a culture of hospitality is advocated in these cities so that displaced people can access health services, education, work and other rights to live in dignity and safety.
Meanwhile, like so many others, Walter, Luisa and Rita are still waiting for their situation to be resolved and to be able to cross to the United States to start a new life. Hopefully, they will succeed.
Source : Elpais.com
Pics : Julius Schlosburg
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