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    Administrator Jean's Avatar
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    TX - New Honduran consulate opens as immigrant number increases

    Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2014 9:30 pm

    By ILDEFONSO ORTIZ The Monitor

    McALLEN — In response to the humanitarian crisis presented by the ever increasing number of Central and South American nationals coming through the Rio Grande Valley, the Honduran government officially opened Friday morning a consular office aimed specifically at protecting and assisting immigrants.

    Located in the same building as the Guatemalan consulate, the two government offices are focused on helping the individuals that have crossed the border illegally and need legal or medical help, as well as assisting the families of those who have gone missing.

    “That was the reason,” said Vice Consul Lillian Gomez. “Because of the high number of Hondurans who were crossing through the area; we are here to protect them, to help them and to make sure they are treated in a dignified and humane manner.”

    Shortly after Friday morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Maria Luisa Oliva arrived asking for help with her paperwork that had been filed towards a her U-visa — a visa typically granted to victims of crime — to obtaining legal status for her children.

    Oliva had traveled to the U.S. from Honduras looking for a better life. But she found herself the victim of abuse in 2012, when her boyfriend assaulted her several times before he was arrested. That led her to obtaining a visa to stay in the U.S.

    “I needed their help with some forms,” she said.

    One of the areas that Gomez has been focusing is on helping alleviate the number of unattended children who have been coming across the river.

    Since October, the consulate has been notified of 16,985 children and teenagers younger than 18 who have crossed the Rio Grande. Out of those, more than 9,000 made the journey into the U.S. alone, she said.

    “We are talking about little ones that are 3, 4, 5 years old that are being sent with a stranger into a foreign land that they know nothing about,” Gomez said.

    If a parent knew of the dangers that he or she was exposing their children to they would not send them, Gomez said.

    “What we are seeing is misinformation in Honduras about the Dream Act where people are thinking that it applies to everyone as soon as they get here,” she said, referring to the law that allows students who meet certain requirements to get work visas and possibly legal residences. “That is something that we are trying to address back home as well as informing them of the dangers they may face during their trek.”

    One of the concerns for Gomez is the brutality and callousness of human smugglers who rather than arrange the crossing of persons have begun the practice of kidnapping for ransom. Even if the immigrant has been detained by U.S Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the human smuggler will call the family, demanding cash.

    “This is something fairly new that we are seeing more and more,” the consular official said. “This is a very serious problem that we are starting to see more and more off and we are concerned about.”

    Having the Honduran consulate down the hall from the Guatemalan consulate serves a great humanitarian purpose allowing Hondurans in need immediate help, said Carlos Rafael Oliva, the Vice Consul for Guatemala.

    “This is ideal and timely; they have arrived at the moment when the migration is starting to reach alarming levels from an international viewpoint,” Oliva said.

    “In the past the closest consular office was in Houston which provided them with a logistical obstacle to be watching the South Texas border and being able to respond in case of an emergency. What is needed at this time in this border is immediate protection and consular assistance.”

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    Was it implied by Gomez that the DREAM act is a nightmare? I hope they are relating that to Congress and Obama!

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