Alejandro is an asylum-seeker from Venezuela who is fleeing political persecution. He spent the summer in Nogales while waiting to present at the port of entry, and has been detained in La Palma since September. In early April, Alejandro shared with KBI staff what it is like to be detained amidst the pandemic. Since the time of the interview, the virus has been confirmed among several detainees in the facility.  Alejandro is a 29-year-old man from Venezuela who is seeking asylum in the … [Read more...]

Barbara, 28, and her husband Wilson, 29, are Cuban asylum-seekers who have been detained for over six months in various locations in Arizona. They fled conditions that were a threat to their lives and well-being in Cuba, and since arriving to Arizona have been confronted by constant challenges in detention facilities. Though they did not spend much time in Border Patrol custody, what they experience in Eloy and La Palma offers a glimpse into the many indignities faced by immigrants outside of … [Read more...]

The following testimonies are from families who came to the Comedor during the month of January. All had sought protection in the U.S., and all were sent back to Nogales to await their court dates in El Paso, which were generally months out. The families asked for their experiences to be shared publicly. These were first read at the “Save Asylum” protest in Tucson on January 31, and in order to elevate the asylum-seekers’ voices, we share them here as well.    TESTIMONY … [Read more...]

Oscar raised his family in the United States. In 2004, following a difficult divorce, he returned to his home country of Honduras. By this year, the threats against his life had become so serious that he had to flee. He has been waiting in Nogales for several months and looks forward to seeing his children once again.   Oscar is a 69-year-old man from Honduras who has been at the comedor since early this fall. His entire surviving family—nine adult children who live in five U.S. … [Read more...]