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February 4, 2005
Seeking Asylum in the U.S.
This week's San Diego Reader profiles the story of two minors seeking asylum in the United States. Both are clients of my friend Chris Chouteau, who is the attorney that heads a detained minors' program at Casa Cornelia Law Center. The article is a great tribute to some of the inspiring work Chris is doing here in San Diego and is definitely worth a read.
His clients, whose names were changed for the article to Enrique (age 17) and Leticia (age 16), demonstrate what extraordinary lengths some young individuals go to in order to flee horrible situations and reach the United States. At age when I was living a carefree life simply going to high school, these two were facing harrowing situations.
For example, when asked if she was scared about starting her journey to the U.S., Leticia recounts:
"A little," Leticia reflected. "It's very hard. But it's an unforgettable experience." The lawyer, administrator, and I burst out laughing in agreement with that.
Every time the train approached a station, the girls jumped off to avoid being caught. They then made their way to the outbound tracks, purchasing food and drinks to stash in their backpacks for a ride that might last 16 to 48 hours. If they were clinging to the side of the train, "We couldn't sleep because we might fall," the girl recalled.
and here are some details from Enrique's terrifying journey:
He spent the night sleeping on a nearby hillside, and in the early morning, he spotted two teenaged boys with a canoe. They offered to take him to the other side in exchange for ten dollars, an exorbitant fee, Enrique thought. But he agreed. Once across, he proffered only five. "They threw rocks at me, but I took off running. I hid until they left."
Enrique had asked the boys if he would find a town across the river, and they told him there was only dense jungle, inhabited by snakes and other dangerous animals. But Enrique says he didn't know what else to do, so he plunged into the pathless undergrowth. He walked for hours in the fetid humidity, flinching at the startling sounds of monkeys and insects. He could smell the animals, he said; he saw snake trails everywhere. When night fell, the noises increased. He climbed a tree and tried to sleep. He says he woke around 5:00 a.m. and descended, then climbed a taller tree to try to find his bearings. He saw no trace of human habitation. Hungry and thirsty, he admitted to himself that he had to turn back.
That first day of Enrique's journey across Mexico was a harbinger of times to come. Eventually he made it out of the jungle and found his way to a town. There he met some Guatemalans heading north who agreed to take him on as a traveling companion. They knew about an "immigrant's bus." But its driver turned out to be in cahoots with machete-wielding bandits, who jumped aboard and demanded money. One of the Guatemalans then pulled out a revolver, forcing the bandits to let them go.
The article concludes happily as Enrique has been granted asylum and has moved to Los Angeles to live with his uncle and pursue his dreams. Leticia has been placed in a foster home in Michigan where she is attending high school while awaiting her asylum trial.
Congratulations to Chris for receiving some well deserved recognition.
Posted by Peter Mork at February 4, 2005 10:53 AM
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