Catholic Life Ministries

by Robert Fontana

…you have learned that local thugs and gang members are targeting young girls in your neighborhood for kidnapping. The girls are given over to gang members as “wives.” Imagine also that you know from previous experience that the local police and government officials are powerless to do anything about it. What would you do? What would you do if you were poor and did not have political or family connections with resources to help you?

You would probably do what Juana and Jose (not their real names) from Columbia did. With their two children, a teen and a young child, they set out on the long walk to the United States, seeking asylum and a new, safe life in the U.S. You might very well do this same thing because you’d have heard through the migrant grapevine that American law states that any person who arrives onto U.S. soil and requests asylum has the right to a hearing before an immigration judge.

Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title. 8 U.S. Code § 1158 – Asylum (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1158)

Juana and Jose began their long pilgrimage in early December, 2023. Almost immediately they faced the perils of crossing the “Darien Gap,” which according to Wikipedia is “a geographic region that connects the American continents, stretching across southern Panama‘s Darién Province and the northern portion of Colombia‘s Chocó Department. Consisting of a large drainage basin, dense rainforest, and     mountains, it is known for its remoteness, difficult terrain, and extreme environment, with a reputation as one of the most inhospitable regions in the world.”

The Darien Gap is not only physically challenging to cross because of its difficult terrain, it is also dangerous to cross because of snakes and other wild animals and because of the presence of gangs that prey on migrants.

Juana reported that over the three days it took them to cross through the Darien Gap they were always wet  because of rainfall and having to cross rivers and streams. They were not alone. They met other people fleeing their homelands and heading towards the United States. They made it to Nicaragua, then Guatemala, and arrived in Mexico in February. They were assisted at times by churches with food and water. At other times they had to work menial jobs to earn money to buy food or a bus ticket. There were many days with little or no food or water. They slept on the side of the road, in parks, church yards, and occasionally in a hotel where they could also shower.

Twice, after traveling to Northern Mexico, Mexican immigration officers picked them up and returned them to southern Mexico near the Guatemalan border. Undaunted, knowing what waited for them back in Columbia, they both times began the trek north again. They did a variety of jobs to earn money to buy bus fares: washing dishes, cleaning houses and yards, waiting on tables. They were occasionally robbed but, thank God, never physically injured, though they witnessed other migrants being attacked and physically harmed.

Arriving in Mexico City a second time, they tried to apply for asylum online through a program set up by the Biden administration. They tried this online application repeatedly over a one-month period without hearing from any immigration official. Finally, Jose decided to hop on a train north to the Mexico – U.S. border,  thinking he would find work in the U.S. and send money back to Juana and the children. Juana worked, earned money for bus fare, and was finally able to travel with her two children to Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, TX, in May.

She crossed into the U.S. at an immigration checkpoint and asked for asylum. Immigration officers took her and the children into custody. After conducting a background check, immigration released Juana and family to Annunciation House, a Catholic shelter system for migrants directed by Ruben Garcia. Mom and children were granted approval to have their asylum claim heard.

Lori and I arrived in El Paso in June to volunteer at  Annunciation House where we met Juana and children. The family later learned that Jose was in a detention  center in Houston and would probably be deported. Lori worked with the family to get immunizations and other medical care, and I worked with them to learn some English. And we all worked together with all the guests at the shelter to do laundry, mopping and cleaning, meal preparation, and dishwashing.

Juana, however, had a problem. Most families asking for asylum in the U.S. have a contact in the country, a family member or friend, who will host them as they wait for their immigration hearing. Juana’s contact had   fallen through. When we left in early August, she and family were essentially stuck at the El Paso shelter. After a few more months passed, the shelter director asked if we would consider hosting the family here in Seattle. Lo and behold, our parish had a connection for a very vital need: a small studio apartment for them. 

Juana and family arrived in Seattle the first week of December. Two of our daughters and a few parish   families are bi-lingual, and that’s been such a blessing – to connect Juana with some Spanish-speaking families. Lori and I lean heavily on Google Translate, which works surprisingly well, though it’s slow-going. The younger child will begin Pre-K at the parish school; the teen will take the ELL course at the community college in the spring. We’ve found an English language tutor for Mom and teen. Lori is searching for a pro-bono immigration lawyer.

No one would make the journey that Juana and her family made unless the threat to their lives was very real. With honest reflection, I think you or I would have done the same thing. Please remember this family, and all migrants, in your prayers. We’ll keep you updated on their progress.