Thread: Mexico opens first Sanctuary city for Central Americans

TRANSLATED FROM
http://www.laopinion.com/primerapagina/ ... 0002856890

ECATEPEC, Mexico.— "I want to tell all the migrants that cross Mexico that when they feel weak, they can come here to have peace", the mayor José Luis Gutiérrez said yesterday, and declared, to this municipality of the State of Mexico, the first migrant sanctuary in the country.

The decision responds to two irrefutable arguments: to be a zone of high expulsion of migrants (currently there are around 10 thousand citizens from ecatepec living in the United States) and shelter the drama of the approximately 30 central american transmigrants that pass daily by train through this town.

As part of the actions for the asylum of migrants, the local government inaugurated the first house of migrants in which they will offer food, medicines, spiritual aid (will be attended by priests of the Diocese of the Human Mobility of the Mexican Episcopate) and, in special cases, money.

The neighbors that live in the margins of the ways of the train witnessed the inauguration with understanding, they have seen time and again the mutilations that Hondurans, Salvadorian and Guatemalan suffer when they fall of the trolley they utilize as transportation to arrive to the United States.

Sandra Maldonado, a humble woman that has her small wooden house in a curve where seven migrants have fallen of the train in the last month, she accounted that in the most recent accident a man fell in front of her.


The statement of sanctuary was done officialy yesterday in the framework of the celebration of the First National Migrant Rights Day of and sponsored for by local and federal representatives José Jacques and Omar Rubio; the priest Luis Angel Nieto, from the Organiztion Blood Ties; the activist Elvira Arellano and the Honduran consul, Carlos Chajtur.

"To declare to Ecatepec as a sanctuary is a very noble initiative. The migrants they find go through many abuses and problems that this can be an oasis for them", said Chajtur, who assures that each year eight thousand Hondurans cross over to Mexico.

At present time 50 temples exist that have opened their doors to lacking the undocumented, although there is only10 people who are refugees among them are Mexicans, Haitian, Honduran and a Japanese.

Now in Mexico, the mayor of Ecatepec did a call to all the municipalities from the country to do replicas of sanctuaries.

Arellano, who was deported on August 19 , congratulated the innitiative because the central americans will have a similar opportunity to which she had in Illinois.

"The sanctuary is not a place where to be hidden, but a form of solidarity, to refuse to divide us and mistreat us, and therefore the sanctuary should be also a place to speak the truth to the powerful", the activist said. "It is a place where we should feel peace".

In that context, the sanctuary is not necessary a religious center although historically it has been.

Ecatepec responded to the urgency of the statistics: according to the National Institute of Migration (INM) an average of 200 thousand central americans croos over to Mexico every year and a high percentage of them suffers abuses, like extortions, unworthy deals, robberies, abductions and sexual violations.

"The central american women that travel as undocumented by Mexico do it with the conscience that they can be raped and so they travel even with condoms", saidthe priest Luis Angel Nieto, who left its parish The Sacred Family in Los Angeles, where he defended undocumented Mexicans to travel through Mexico and to know the reality of other migrations.

"In comparison with what happens central americans in Mexico, the Mexicans in the United States are in a bed of roses", considered. "It is urgent that Mexico finishes with this hell".

During its it traveled through by 12 migrant, Mexican cities they denounced an organs traffic mafia, tries people and drug trafficking that makes money with the migrant central american.

"In New Laredo 'The Zetas' —gunmen of the of the Gulf Cartel— are stationed in the migratory centers to observe the movements, to intimidate and to mark their territory", he indicated.

In spite of the remote efforts of giving protection to the central americans, the initiative of law that decriminalizes the migration in Mexico has been stalled in the Senate, in spite of the fact that it was approved in the House of Representatives since April 26.

"It is urgent that this law be approved", said Salvador Beltrán, assistant director to the migration visitor of the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), who gave his approval for the Mexican sanctuary, to which he considered "a very human idea".

"We have to give the example to United States on how should migrants should be treated", emphasized representative Jacques.

the local government inaugurated the first house of migrants in which they will offer food, medicines, spiritual aid (will be attended by priests of the Diocese of the Human Mobility of the Mexican Episcopate) and, in special cases, money.

Thank you Catholic Diocese. Soon they'll be a Mexican mission system to add illegal aliens on their journey here... I guess were suppose to say "see they're their not hypocrites.

And, did they happen to run this plan past the Mexican government for their input?

Something doesn't sound right. Mexico does not tolerate illegals from south of their border in any way, shape or form. They also do not deal lightly with those....Mexican citizens or not....who violate their laws.

Are we to believe that a sanctuary city has had a very public grand opening and this is just swell by the government?

What are they up to?

If this is approved by the Mexican govt, then I say, Come on, we all know that this is being done to try and justify those santuary cities in the US. It wouldn't surprise me if the CFR suggested for Mexico to do this as a NAU model. What a bunch of crap!

I wonder just how hospitable the Mexicans would be if the Central Americans were trying to stay there.

I'll say it again...they are reaching

Ya i'd say it is ok with the Mexican government as long as they are just passing through to the U.S. Whatever ever you do don't try to stop them, and they wonder why we want our border closed.

When they start giving the IA's long term housing,food,welfare,schooling,hospital care FREE then I might say good for you otherwise it is just more propaganda aimed at trying to discredit the USA !

HAHAHAHA oh my that's a good one! Of course they mean to "help" these migrants into the US.

Can you imagine if Mexico starts giving out benefits to non-Mexicans? What do you think the illegal Mexicans in the US would do? They will freak out completely! Hopefully they will also start returning to Mexico for their handouts and we all know Mexico doesn't want freeloaders either.