Nov. 7, 2019 Tucson, AZ – The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (Florence Project) and the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) today are calling on Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately release two transgender women, Alejandra and Anahí, who have reported extreme abuse, mistreatment, misconduct, and violence in ICE custody. Florence Project and KBI further call on ICE to approve all transgender migrants for release under parole to due urgent humanitarian concerns. … [Read more...]
The Changing Face of the Border: Cubans In Migration
Cubans seeking asylum currently comprise a significant percentage of the migrant population in Nogales. This is a trend that has occurred along the border for much of 2019. Part of the reason for this increase is a change in the ways that Cubans are processed and evaluated, and the favored status they once enjoyed has diminished. Read more about these changes in policy and demographics here. An increasing number of Cubans have arrived to Nogales to present at the port of entry in … [Read more...]
Magdalena’s Story: A Nurse’s Experience in Cuba
Magdalena is a nurse from Cuba who had to leave after a violent attack by police for her political expressions and the cancellation of her medical license after she expressed that she did not want to go on a medical mission to Venezuela. Her journey to the border has taken over three years, and she is currently awaiting the outcome of her asylum case in the Eloy detention facility, where she has been since May. Magdalena is a 37-year-old woman from Cuba who is currently detained in Eloy, … [Read more...]
KBI Media Report: September-October 2019
Our report this month includes news stories about the rising numbers of asylum seekers who are wrongfully returned to Mexico; the Pope’s continued commitment to migrants and refugees, including the unveiling of a monument in St. Peter’s Square; and the effects that the recently-constructed border wall has on climate change, migrants, and the indigenous communities of Southern Arizona. Mexican Asylum-Seekers Wrongly Removed to Mexico: Since mid-August, KBI has worked with 15 … [Read more...]
KBI September Announcements
This month, KBI participated in a Jesuit Day of Action in front of Senator McSally’s office alongside other members of the Arizona Ignatian family. Several KBI staff members traveled to witness and participate in national events in El Paso, San Francisco, and New York. Finally, we hosted four immersion groups from Arizona and California in September. Jesuit Day of Action: Alongside Brophy College Prep, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Creighton Medical School, Faith in Action, and the … [Read more...]