Seeking asylum at the United States border is legal鈥攅ven during a pandemic. People travel to the southern U.S. border to seek refuge, including from political turmoil and rampant violence in Central America. While Trump Administration policies have left behind a broken asylum system, President Joe Biden can take bold action to create a safe, orderly and fair system. Here鈥檚 what you need to know.
Many people are traveling to the U.S. southern border to escape violence in the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. They are in urgent need of aid and protection.
Gang violence is rampant in the region. Women and girls are specific targets, with violence leveraged as a method to control families with threats, punishments and extortion. It is considered one of the most dangerous regions in the world for women and members of the LGBTQI+ community, with one woman murdered every 6 hours in 2019.
鈥淔leeing is a dire choice for any family," says Meghan Lopez, regional vice president of the 探花精选 in Latin America. "They are forced to choose between facing certain death or a desperate journey north鈥攑rotected by other families in the caravan. Yet we know that individuals will not stop fleeing until the root causes of violence are addressed, and military troops or scare-tactics will not dissuade them, because currently there is no place scarier than their homes.鈥
The U.S. once had a tradition of welcome that offered safety and a new start to people escaping violence and persecution. Although the Trump Administration implemented policies that chipped away at this tradition, U.S. law clearly grants these asylum seekers the right to apply for asylum.
"There鈥檚 no way to ask for a visa or any type of authorization in advance for the purpose of seeking asylum,鈥 says the 探花精选鈥檚 director of immigration, Olga Byrne. 鈥淵ou just have to show up."
Based on the 探花精选's experience in the region, the fears of persecution among those fleeing Central America are very real: Current levels of violence in the Northern Triangle are akin to those in the world鈥檚 deadliest war zones. Violence in the region goes back generations and permeates every aspect of people鈥檚 lives. In El Salvador, for example, the current gang crisis was preceded by earthquakes and a civil war, and prior to that there were repressive military dictatorships and ethnic genocide.
The danger does not end when people flee their homes; the path north is fraught with gang violence similar to what they鈥檝e fled, which is why some asylum seekers travel in groups referred to as 鈥渃aravans.鈥 Women, girls and the LGBTQI+ community are specific targets of violence, with women and children also at risk of human trafficking.
The 探花精选 is deeply concerned about ongoing reports that asylum seekers are being transported by state and local governments from U.S. southern border states to cities around the country, often without informed consent, coordination or planning.
Based on the statements of political leaders, these destinations were chosen to maximize public attention. Asylum seekers should not be subject to media stunts.
Government-provided transportation could be a positive and practical component of a safe and orderly system, but it must include key protections and effective collaboration, and ensure the dignity of asylum seekers is respected. Learn more.
The 探花精选 provides critical support to asylum seekers on both sides of the U.S. southern border. That includes providing warm meals, clothing, transitional shelter and travel coordination to more than 8,000 asylum seekers released from U.S. government detention since June 2018. We are also working alongside partners to respond to asylum seekers鈥 urgent needs.
In Mexico, the 探花精选 is providing support to migrants and asylum seekers from the southern to the northern borders and in between. This support includes prevention and response to gender-based violence; access to critical information through , a multi-channel information platform; prevention and mitigation of COVID-19; economic recovery and development; and child protection services. We also identify needs and refer cases to local service providers where appropriate. For individuals who choose to stay in Mexico, the 探花精选 provides cultural integration support.
: Support our work helping families caught in crisis around the world.
. Tell the Biden Administration and Congress to repair the broken asylum system, reunite families and ensure that the country never again turns its back on people seeking safety.
