News 11 Exclusive: Beyond The Border

YUMA, Ariz. ( KSWT, KECY). President Donald Trump has vowed to crack down on asylum-seekers at the southern border. As of December 2018, he announced his newest policy, the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), that forces families to wait in Mexico for their asylum- court hearing. 

News 11 followed one family that's been waiting in Mexicali, Baja California for five months. October marked their third immigration court hearing in San Diego, California.

Sheyla Castillo, a 10-year-old Guatemalan girl, and her mother left Central America back on April 28th. 

"Three men arrived at my mom’s tortilla shop business, from there one of the men grabbed me, and they put a knife to my throat because they wanted money. I remember my mom told them she does not have the kind of money they were demanding. One of the men told my mom that if she does find a way to get the money they would kill me and her," said Castillo. 

Sheyla's family was among the 4,000 migrant families that were transferred to Calexico, to then be moved to Mexicali under the MPP. 

If granted asylum into the U.S., Sheyla and her mother hope to make it to Virginia. 

“Besides all of this that has happened, I still want to get into the U.S. For that better life for my family and me. Because I want to study and grow and be someone big one day," said Castillo. 

During Sheyla's court hearing,  News 11 learned their asylum was denied for the third time.