For many migrants, the mistreatment they have suffered along their journey is too painful to tell, much less relive. When preparing for actions such as, the #SaveAsylum protests, migrants offer to share their testimonios for advocacy purposes. Migrant organizers support one another by stepping in as spokespeople to represent those who feel too vulnerable to share on their own behalf. This is a powerful example of migrants helping one another and being solidarity with each other.
This month’s migrant story is a testimonio shared during our 2021 Binational Posada, “Restore Protections for Holy Families”, when denouncing the rejection in the hands of Border Patrol. It was read by a migrant organizer named Rosario, who read another migrant’s- who chose to remain anonymous- testimonio during the procession.
I am from the state of Guerrero. I migrated with my husband and my little one that is 2 years old. We’ve already been here for six months. For us, it has been very tough because we have to confront rejection from people for the simple fact that we are migrants, and rejection from jobs as well.
We came fleeing the insecurity that one lives in our state. We are displaced, we fear for our safety, and it’s very unjust that upon arriving here we only find rejection from the border authorities. I tried to ask for asylum at the port 3 times already, and unfortunately not one of my attempts was successful. The first time they rejected me saying that there was no asylum because of the pandemic (the famous Title 42). We wanted to explain our reasons for being here, and for that they responded rudely that we needed to get out of there, or they would take my son away. They even tried to take him out of my arms, and of course I preferred to leave.
The second time the same thing happened – they used the pandemic as an excuse. This time I tried my luck to ask for asylum where the cars were crossing. There were more officials there and I decided to approach and explain the reasons I need asylum. Five officials came up to me and crowded around us, trying to intimidate us. They wanted to run us over. We didn’t do anything wrong, we were just trying to explain why we need asylum.
And other officials that were there were not any help either. On the contrary, they made fun of us. For that reason, I felt afraid of approaching the port to try to present again. I gathered my courage and went for a third time. There they rejected me once again. They gave me the excuse that they don’t grant access to asylum, because it is a port too small to process my request. They told me to go to El Paso or San Diego. And so, this was just another excuse.
I want to comment that I feel very sad since there is no new news that can help me or help my family to be protected against our fears. I believe that no one deserves to live with fear. The only thing that keeps me standing is the hope that they will help us.
Soy del estado de Guerrero. Vengo migrando con mi esposo y mi pequeño de 2 años. Voy a cumplir aquí ya 6 meses. Ha sido para nosotros muy duro por qué nos tenemos que enfrentar al rechazo de la gente por el simple hecho de ser migrantes, como también al rechazo en los trabajos.
Nosotros venimos huyendo de la inseguridad que se vive en nuestro estado. Somos desplazados, tememos por nuestra integridad, y también es muy injusto que al llegar aquí solo recibamos rechazo por parte de las autoridades fronterizas. Intenté pedir asilo en la garita ya 3 veces, y desgraciadamente en ninguna he tenido éxito. La primera vez me rechazaron diciendo que no había Asilo por la pandemia (El famoso título 42). Quisimos explicar nuestras razones del por qué estábamos aquí, a lo cual ellos de una forma grosera contestaron que si no nos retiramos de allí, me podrían quitar a mi hijo. Incluso intentaron arrebatarmelo de los brazos, a lo cual preferí retirarme de ahí.
La segunda vez sucedió que me dijeron lo mismo al ponerme de pretexto la pandemia. Esta vez quise probar suerte al pedir mi asilo por dónde van entrando los carros. Ahí eran más oficiales y decidí acercarme y explicar mis razones del por qué necesito el Asilo. se nos acercaron 5 oficiales, se nos amontonaron y trataron de intimidarnos. Se nos quisieron ir encima. No hicimos nada malo, solo tratábamos de explicar el por qué necesitamos el asilo.
Y otros oficiales que estaban ahí no nos auxiliaron. Al contrario se burlaban de nosotros. Por esta razón fue que a mi me daba miedo volver a presentarme a la garita. Agarré valor y fui una tercera vez. Ahí me volvieron a rechazar. Me dieron de pretexto que aquí no daban asilo ya que era una frontera muy chica para poder hacer mi trámite. Me dijeron que acudiera a El Paso o San Diego.Más sin embargo eso fue una excusa más.
Quiero comentar que me siento muy triste ya que no hay ninguna nueva noticia que me pueda ayudar a qué mi familia esté protegida y sin temor alguno. Yo creo que nadie merece vivir con miedo. Lo único que me mantiene de pie es la grandísima esperanza de que nos van ayudar.
If there is a heaven, and I believe there is, these border people are the ones who will be there. If there is a hell, and I believe there is, the border guards, etc., who treat the refugees like crap, are the ones who will be there.