Thread: A Refugee Caravan from Central America Set to Confront Trump 5/7/17

A Refugee Caravan from Central America Set to Confront Trump

• On May 7, the refugees are expected to arrive at the U.S. border to seek asylum. | Photo: Reuters
  

Published 2 May 20174

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A caravan of 200 refugees, fleeing violence and gangs in Central America, has embarked on a journey to the United States – by way of Mexico – in hopes of being granted asylum.

The caravan, which is expected to reach the U.S. next week, was organized by a Mexican-U.S. coalition group. The journey is meant to raise awareness about the perils and hardships faced by migrants trying to escape violence in Central America.

While riding atop the La Bestia freight trains, the caravan was notably surrounded by about 80 Mexican immigration agents, which is a common occurrence. Alex Mensing, a paralegal at the University of San Francisco's Immigration and Deportation Defense Law Clinic and one of the organizers, told Mother Jones,

"They surround the train in a remote area, they pull everybody off, and in some cases they end up extorting people, detaining them, and sometimes they are collaborating with organized crime."

On April 9, the group consisting of men, women, and children crossed the Suchiate River into Mexico from Tecún Umán, Guatemala. Two weeks ago, a Mexican-American immigration activist named Hugo Castro – who had gone to meet the caravan – reportedly disappeared and was found five days later suffering from serious injuries.

According to the U.S. and international law, border security agents are obligated to admit asylum seekers, review their cases and evaluate whether they have "credible fear" of returning to their home country if they are not admitted. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman Carlos Diaz said to Mother Jones, "CBP has not changed any policies affecting asylum procedures," and that according to the procedures, the officers are required to grant any migrant who "expresses fear of being returned to his/her home country" an interview. The members of the caravan have set up security and logistical teams to deter criminals from infiltrating the group. Once the caravan arrives in Tijuana, Mexico, the organizers and participants will hold awareness sessions. At these briefings, the organizers will disclose the circumstances that pushed the migrants to leave their homes and head to the United States.

"There is a refusal on the parts of the Mexican and the U.S. governments to deal with the Central American exodus as a refugee crisis," Mensing explained to Mother Jones.

On May 7, the refugees are expected to arrive at the U.S. border to formally seek asylum. "I don't know to what extent CBP will push back," Mensing said. "I don't anticipate that they will, but it just depends on how willing the current administration is to crack down directly on Central Americans asserting their rights as asylum seekers. Our plan is that everyone is going to get let in."

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/new...0502-0043.html

"CBP has not changed any policies affecting asylum procedures," and that according to the procedures, the officers are required to grant any migrant who "expresses fear of being returned to his/her home country" an interview.

Another trump "do nothing about" - he is too busy giving polluters a free pass, taking wilderness lands for dirty energy use and listening to his daughter @ whatever she wants, to actually do what he promised & elected to do.

The are going to try to cross the border at 2:00pm local time.

250 Refugees Arrive in Tijuana Seeking Asylum in U.S.

Many from refugee caravan remain in detention

Use scouts, stop the trains, have an army to greet them and turn them back, don't let them cross the border. These are thugs, hoodlums, drug runners, gang bangers, felons, gypsies, con artists and n'er do wells.

Nearly 80 Protesting Asylum Seekers Held After Entering US at San Ysidro

Wednesday, May 10, 2017
By Jean Guerrero

A group of 78 asylum seekers awaits interviews at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after weeks of trekking in a caravan through Mexico to raise awareness about the plight of people fleeing violence.

The migrants, mostly Central Americans, turned themselves into U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this Sunday after the trip through Mexico with activists.

They organized the caravan in part to bring attention to the dangers migrants face in the journey through Mexico as well as challenges faced at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration attorney Nicole Ramos, who is representing 20 of the families, said that in violation of U.S. and international law, CBP has been turning away asylum seekers.

“That’s not CBP’s job – CBP does not have the authority to make evaluations on what the asylum claim is,” Ramos said. “Their only function is to refer to the asylum office for a credible fear interview.”

CBP denied the agency sends asylum seekers back without interviews. The agency issued the following statement in an email:

"The United States has long adhered to international laws and conventions allowing people to seek asylum on grounds that they are being persecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or other factors. If an officer or agent encounters a U.S.-bound migrant without legal papers and the person expresses fear of being returned to his/her home country, our officers process them for an interview with an asylum officer. If during this interview, an applicant expresses fear of being returned to their home country, our officers are required to process them for an interview with an asylum officer. CBP officers are not authorized to determine or evaluate the validity of the fear expressed. The applicant does not have to specifically request asylum, they simply must express fear of being returned to their country.”


The agency also said it is aware of the "large group of individuals at the San Ysidro Port of Entry" that is seeking asylum and said the asylum seekers will be processed on a case-by-case basis.

U.S. immigration law dictates that people who asks a CBP officer for asylum have the right to a “credible fear” screening by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). According to the USCIS website, asylum seekers get a green light in the screening if they can establish that they “have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of (their) race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” if returned to their country.

Some of the caravan’s family members are concerned about how they are are being treated in CBP custody.

Los Angeles resident Dolores Ramirez traveled to the border on Tuesday to try to get information about her relatives in the caravan. She said she had received one phone call from a relative who complained of the conditions inside.

“They’re only getting 10 minutes to eat, they have no blankets, they’re sleeping on the floor in cells, they’re being yelled at,” she said. “They shouldn’t be treated like animals, they’re not animals, they didn’t cross the border illegally, they’re seeking help.”

CBP agents told Ramirez they could not disclose information on the individuals in custody because they needed to protect their privacy, but added that they were receiving adequate care.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/may/10...us-san-ysidro/

DEPORT THEM ALL RIGHT BACK TO MEXICO...

After all they don't believe in walls...they can keep them!