Humanitarian crisis along the Southern border

For months we have been reporting on the humanitarian crisis happening in our own backyard as thousands have fled from violence and organized crime in Central America to seek asylum into the United States. The caravan has left a long-lasting impact in each border town.

What first started as a month-long treck from their homes in Latin America, thousands of migrants walked more than 3 thousand miles from Central America to Tijuana with the dream of getting protection in the U.S. and a chance to pursue the American Dream, fleeing violence and death threats from their home countries.

“Someone told me that I had no idea how valuable my daughter’s organs are and how much they are in Tijuana,” said Karen Ramos, a mother from Honduran.

“They killed my brother, my uncle and my other uncle and my aunt’s boyfriend,” 6-year old Chayanne from Honduras.

“My father had a phone repair business and the gangs just came into the store and shot him until he was dead,” said 18-year old, Edgar Gomez, from Honduras.

As 3 months have passed since the arrival of the caravan, thousands of migrants still wait in the streets of Tijuana. Some wait where the border meets the sea to see what their future holds.

“I wouldn’t know how to describe to you, it feels anguish, like one stops caring about everything when you see the other side and you can’t cross. I see people on the other side happy and one is here struggling it feels like there is whole in my heart,” said Josue, a 27-year old from Honduras.

Josue spends his day walking along the beach looking through the border fence at the country he has dreamed of living in since he was a little boy.

“I only have one goal and one goal in mind and that is to be on that side, I have tried three times and I will continue to try however many times I need,” said Josue.

Just on the outskirts of Tijuana where less than a thousand migrants are now living in this old concert venue called La Barretal.

“When we first came we were 3 thousand and now there’s less than a thousand at the shelter,” said Melvin Machado.

Leaving them to take matters into their own hands, some opening their own business in a community they call home. Making sure they make ends meet for her kids with at least one meal before going to bed.

“What I made in one day only helps me to buy one full dinner for my husband and I because they don’t give out food three times a day as they did at the beginning,” said Patricia Rodriguez, a mother fleeing violence from El Salvador.

From Tijuana Baja California we take you to the Nogales Sonora where we introduce you to a Latin American expert and professor at the University of Arizona, Alvaro Enciso who was born and raised in Columbia.

Enciso points out that migration has been happening for centuries dating back to Colonialism and Imperial policies and the U.S. is responsible for the problems that we are now seeing.

“The U.S. went to Central America and took all of their natural resources and exploited everything they could, people coming from El Salvador and Honduras are where the Banana Republics are, that’s where the United Fruit companies exploited those countries so they could bring the products here at a very low price,” said Enciso.

Although Tijuana was the destination for many we take you to Mexicali Baja California where hundred stayed to find opportunities. Among those is Frank Santos who is part of the LGBT+ community who escaped his country of Honduras for discrimination.

“The police beat me with a crowbar three different times just because I’m gay, so I ran away because I knew if I stayed there I would have died, the second time was also by the federals , but that time they got me into a car and they beat me until they were tired, the third time was in the neighborhood I grew up in where the gangs didn’t accept people who are gay and that’s where they threatened to kill my mother,” said Santos.

Saying what keeps him going is the unconditional love from his mother.

“I miss the love from my mother, and every time I speak with her I cry. I remember she told me to be careful, to trust in God, that everything will come out okay and to give it my all,” said Santos.

From Mexicali, we take you to our final destination and the one closest to home, San Luis Rio Colorado where the number of asylum seekers has doubled since October. Now 120 families wait for their day in court under harsh conditions. The process for an asylum case could take months even years.

“An asylum officer conducts a screen test called the credible fear test, if you pass then you are approved to see an immigration judge,” said Barrilo Sanchez, an immigration lawyer in Yuma.

Sanchez said that applying for asylum is free and that it is highly recommended to hire an attorney, however, they’re still not guaranteed asylum.

“Attorney’s in Arizona for an asylum case ranges anywhere from 7-thousand to 16-thousand and in California, it’s double that number,” said Sanchez.

Enciso reminds us that migration has always shaped this country.

“We have to understand that migrating from the South is just as important as the migration from Europe that this country is no longer the U.S. because Mexico and U.S. is one, those coming from Mexico, Central America have provided so much flavor to the culture that one day we will be speaking Spanglish,” said Enciso.