My article was posted from the Baltimore Sun in March and was a very heartbreaking article to read because I know many of these cases. However, the article mentions a new policy that sends asylum seekers waiting for responses from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico after six weeks. The U.S. border patrol agents are targeting “people who speak Spanish and come from Latin America…” (Spagat). I find this bizarre and unfair to spanish speaking people because they are targeting them and not someone who speaks any other language. This is unfair to them because Tijuana is nowhere safer than the U.S. Juan Carlos Perla left El Salvador for the main reason many Salvadorians leave, gang related threats. Mr. Perla was threatened by the 18thstreet gang who are dangerous but as dangerous as others however, being beaten up for missing a payment is very scary then being threatened to be killed if you miss the next payment is even scarier. In the Tijuana holding areas, the men say it’s “inhumane” since it’s cramped, bright lights and cold. There are no available legal services unless they can find someone who can practice law in Mexico. The heartbreaking line was the last one with Mr. Perla saying, “My case is a lost cause.” Many immigrant and refugees feel this way because they know the system will not help them and they have so much to lose. You will not meet an immigrant who doesn’t feel safe every day because you know never know what will happen which is disappointing to know how these situations are handled. This was a negative experience for these people going through the system.
References
Spagat, Elliot. “Asylum Seeker Abandons US Plans in Face of New Policy.” Baltimoresun.com, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2019,
www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/sns-bc-lt–us-mexico-asylum-20190315-story.html.