Thread: Tragic side to illegal immigration

Girl was 14, immigrant

By Zahira Torres / El Paso Times

Concerns over immigration issues continued this weekend after a girl who was found on the side of a highway near Fabens and later died was identified as a 14-year-old immigrant from El Salvador.

Lady Lorena Vijil Claros was taken to Del Sol Medical Center on Thursday night and died later that night.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate the cause of death as an embolism, which is caused when blood clots block an artery. A final autopsy report was not available as of press time.

"We will continue to follow up reports that she was transported into this country illegallyÉ perhaps by a coyote," or smuggler, Rick Glancey, director of public affairs for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, said in a news release.

"It appears she took ill and may have been left behind. If that is the case, we may be looking potentially at criminal negligent homicide. Right now this case serves as a reminder of the dangers of human trafficking," Glancey said in the statement.

Criminal negligent homicide is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

According to the sheriff's department, Claros asked for help after an unidentified man and woman spotted her in the 16900 block of Texas 20, which is Alameda Avenue in El Paso.

The pair took her to a home at the 1300 block of Leaf in Fabens and called 911.

Local immigrant-rights advocates said they are concerned that strict immigration guidelines lead immigrants to desperate measures, such as seeking coyotes to help them cross the border.

"This is the part of the immigration debate that gets ignored a lot," said Iliana Holguin, executive director for Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services. "We are talking about people who are fleeing their countries to avoid tragic and dangerous situations. Unfortunately, it takes something like this to make us see the tragic side of the immigration issue."

Ouisa Davis, an immigrant-rights advocate, said women who cannot keep up with a group or fall ill are particularly vulnerable to dangerous situations.

"Many times they are coming to accompany family, work or just run away from an abusive situation," Davis said, adding that she hopes an attempt has been made to reach Claros' parents. "Because of this tragedy there is a mother out there who no longer has her daughter."

Officials at the El Salvador Consulates in Houston and Dallas could not be reached for comment.

Deputies are seeking the public's help as they continue to investigate the case. Anyone with information should call 546-2280.

Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156.

Blood clot killed El Salvadoran teen

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_3768038

Legislation and enforcment of immigration law AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS doesn't mean it has to be done in a way which causes our nation to lose it's compassion!!! Illegals need closed out, yes. But there should also be humanitarian organizations who are sanctioned by our Federal Government to take in those whose lives are in immediate danger!!

This argument is being used like a pawn in a game of chess for PRO-ILLEGAL immigration and that doesn't fly with me. Have compassion for those with an immediate and dire threat, who cannot wait on our LEGAL immigration process - yes!! Keep our borders unprotected and unenforced in general - NO!

These arguments and "examples" have got to end. Provide a way for instant "flight" when someone is in immediate danger but have a way to screen people and turn them back if they don't.

This should technically be the end of such an argument, but I'm sure for some it is still "unacceptable" as it doesn't provide for the ideals of everyone. But is it the "ideal" for the U.S. and those in serious distress seeking to come here for protection? It most certainly is.

The shame should be directed at the countries that these immigrants are fleeing from not the United States.

That's a given. However, they won't unless we speak to them through THEIR wallets.

A national boycott against Mexican-made goods, services and tourism industry would go a long way to informing them that the CITIZENS of our nation mean business - and not to worry about what our government says.

Why not just let her journey end in Mexico. That would have put her out of harm's way in El Salvador and she would quite possibly still be alive. They risk life and limb to get here, always with an excuse of persecution or poverty.

Compassion is great when its appreciated, but our compassion is viewed as weakness and is exploited and taken advantage of until its hard to feel compassion for any of them.

The other day I read where a young woman 18 or 19 gave birth in the Arizona desert and cut the cord with a nail clipper. They rushed her and baby to a nearby hospital. That's very sad, but all she was after was an anchor baby. She risked her life and the life of her baby and we are supposed to feel bad about it.

In this case, my compassion is with the baby who had no say in the matter.

Originally Posted by sherbug

Why not just let her journey end in Mexico. That would have put her out of harm's way in El Salvador and she would quite possibly still be alive. They risk life and limb to get here, always with an excuse of persecution or poverty.

Compassion is great when its appreciated, but our compassion is viewed as weakness and is exploited and taken advantage of until its hard to feel compassion for any of them.

The other day I read where a young woman 18 or 19 gave birth in the Arizona desert and cut the cord with a nail clipper. They rushed her and baby to a nearby hospital. That's very sad, but all she was after was an anchor baby. She risked her life and the life of her baby and we are supposed to feel bad about it.

In this case, my compassion is with the baby who had no say in the matter.

I agree - my compassion is wearing very thin. It's hard to be compassionate when one knows they are being used and exploited!

You may want to do a personal inventory of Mexico's own immigration laws - which ARE literally enforced. The El Salvadoran woman would have been just as bad off in Mexico as she would have been in El Salvador.

By the way, you are speaking to someone who has lived through what the people of Central America (mainly Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) go through, as I was stationed in Honduras for fourteen months of my "four year vacation" in the U.S. Army back in the 1990's.

Suffice it to say, nationalism runs deep down South of the border. Thugs, rapists, drug cartels, sex slave trading, money laundering - it's all a huge part of their "trade", including Mexico. Having been down there, I can understand what must have been going through that woman's mind. And as an El Salvadoran being in Mexico, that can spell an instant death sentence. She would have been much better off coming here via boat to Florida from El Salvador than by crossing land through Mexico.

To be quite honest, she is one of the LUCKY ones in spite of her misfortune. And as a compassionate person, I honestly do believe in giving everyone ONE CRACK at pleading their case. But after medical care has been provided and a person has been strengthened - the case had better be extremely legitimate or, if I were in charge, they would be sent right back to their homelands and barred from applying for legal citizenship for a period of two years.

If a case is legitimate and adequately investigated so as to prove so - I'm all for immigration. It truly is what has made our nation great.

What I will NOT tolerate are the following:

People coming here purposely and in large numbers with a militant and hateful agenda.

People coming here through violation of our immigration laws and then seeking to influence our judicial and legislative branches, making demands and threatening violence if they cannot achieve their desires peacefully.

I could provide pages of what I wilL NOT tolerate actually, the above is barely the tip of the iceburg.

I know it gets hard to have any compassion at all considering the current state of things, but it's quite important to maintain a level of compassion and legal immigration programs which are:

ENFORCED

P.S: I chose to edit this because I wanted to make one thing very clear - "I just wanted to come here to work" is NOT going to cut it for me - at all. ESPECIALLY if our immigration law was violated. And...

Shut down every business and corporation who hires those who are here illegally. Wipe the attraction completely flush off the U.S. map.

Ok, I'm done now.

Originally Posted by sherbug

Why not just let her journey end in Mexico. That would have put her out of harm's way in El Salvador and she would quite possibly still be alive. They risk life and limb to get here, always with an excuse of persecution or poverty.

Because Mexico has very strict laws, believe it or not, against border crossers. They dont even want Mexicans in Mexico.

Originally Posted by butterbean

Originally Posted by sherbug

Why not just let her journey end in Mexico. That would have put her out of harm's way in El Salvador and she would quite possibly still be alive. They risk life and limb to get here, always with an excuse of persecution or poverty.

Because Mexico has very strict laws, believe it or not, against border crossers. They dont even want Mexicans in Mexico.

Isn't that a Chiquita banana? Where is that grown? Hope not in Mexico!

Whoah MopHeadBlue, it IS a Chiquita banana! Ohhh MAN! That's nothing to be monkeyin' around with!!