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Pregnant woman deported to Mexico instead of her country of origin

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September 2, 2020 7:17 PM
Published 3:19 PM

Expecting and deported to wrong country

MEXICALI, B.C. (KYMA, KECY) - In the Refugio Migrante shelter in Mexicali lives Gloria Mejia, a pregnant 22-year-old refugee from Honduras who from upon arrival to the Yuma was deported to Mexico.

“At the fence, they called me and took me to the dog pound that's what we call it and then they took me and they told me they were going to deport me and I thought it was to my country, but no then when I got off the bus I was in San Luis and they told me I was in Immigration in San Luis and I had no choice to sleep there on the street, because I had left with no money,” said Gloria Mejia.

 In March, the U.S. government announced people who crossed the border unlawfully would immediately be sent back to protect public health.

 The U.S. has sent over 20,000 migrants to Mexico. About a third of them are Central Americans.

 “Its a trauma that difficult to overcome when you have a dream to cross to another county and you have already completed the trip, many times you have to walk 3 or 4 days by the desert and you get to a city and immigration gets you and sends you back its a trauma that is really hard to overcome,” said Juan Luis Gutierrez, Director of Operations.

Honduras is still considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world due to gang violence and corruption.

Gloria left Honduras with nothing but the clothes on her back and dreams of being safe.

“The road to get here is really rough you suffer going on that train being hungry, cold risking your life catching that train at 1 am you’re chasing after that train, tired risking your life its a big risk so for me that's being the hardest part going on such tough roads.”

Gloria says she still has dreams of making it to the U.S. so her baby doesn’t suffer what she did.

Since it began in late March, more than 40,000 people have been expelled to their country of origin. Of which includes people who intended to seek asylum, people who are migrating for economic reasons, unaccompanied minors, people who faced significant danger if they were returned to Mexico, and many women and children, including a newborn less than one week old.

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Gianella Ghiglino

Peruvian-born and LA raised Gianella Ghiglino joins the team from the San Fernando valley. “LA is the place that taught me how to breath and Peru is my breath.” She says she was inspired by the community she grew up in and began documenting her experience through poetry at the age of 7. “I wrote about everything I saw, felt and everything that inspired me.” When she entered High School she joined her school news station and realized that broadcast journalism allowed her to pursue her passion and her purpose all at once. Gianella attended Cal State Northridge and received a Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish Broadcast Journalism, and Political Science. She did several internships while in College but most notably interned for PBS’s local LA station for three years. “My purpose is to share my story and of those in my community, my passion is writing.”

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