Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 31 January 2020
U.S. finds ally in Mexico as asylum policy marks first year

By ELLIOT SPAGAT Paso began hearing cases
Associated Press of people who were re-
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — turned to Mexico through
The Perla family of El Salva- Nogales, Arizona, the last
dor has slipped into a daily major corridor for illegal
rhythm in Mexico while they crossings where the policy
wait for the U.S. to decide hadn't been adopted. This
whether to grant them asy- has forced migrants to
lum. traverse dangerous sec-
A modest home has re- tions of Mexico and travel
placed the tent they lived hundreds of miles to make
in at a migrant shelter. Their court appearances.
7- and 5-year-old boys are Richard Boren, a teacher,
in their second year of pub- accompanied two Gua-
lic school, and their third temalan women and their
son is about to celebrate four children, ages 4 to
his second birthday in Ti- 16, across an international
juana. bridge to their El Paso hear-
They were among the first ing. The Guatemalans trav-
migrants sent back to Mex- eled 13 hours by bus from
ico under a Trump adminis- the Arizona border.
tration policy that dramati- "I was really worried about
cally reshaped the scene them," said Boren, 62, who
at the U.S.-Mexico border In this March 5, 2019, file photo, Ruth Aracely Monroy helps her son, Carlos, with his jacket among met them after they were
by returning migrants to tents set up inside a shelter for migrants in Tijuana, Mexico. returned to Mexico through
Mexico to wait out their Associated Press Arizona and reconnected
U.S. asylum process. The and gone back to the The Perlas are faring better father of two was found with them for their first hear-
practice initially targeted home countries they fled. than most of the roughly dismembered in Tijuana. ing.
Central Americans but has Others, like the Perlas, be- 60,000 asylum-seekers, A Salvadoran woman was Of nearly 30,000 cases de-
expanded to other na- came entrenched in Mexi- many of whom live in fear kidnapped into prostitution cided through December,
tionalities, excluding Mexi- can life. The system known of being robbed, assault- in Ciudad Juarez. only 187, or fewer than
cans, who are exempt. The as the Migrant Protection ed, raped or killed. Human Rapid expansion of the 1%, of asylum-seekers sent
Homeland Security Depart- Protocols helped change Rights First, a group critical policy was key to a June back to Mexico won their
ment said Wednesday that Washington's relationship of the policy, has docu- agreement between the cases, according to Syra-
it started making Brazilians with Mexico and made the mented 816 public reports U.S. and Mexico that led cuse University's Transac-
wait in Mexico. neighbor a key ally in Presi- of violent crimes against Trump to suspend his threat tional Records Access
Today, a year after the dent Donald Trump's efforts those who were returned of tariff increases. The Re- Clearinghouse. Lack of
policy began, many other to turn away a surge of asy- to Mexico. Late last year, publican president said at legal representation helps
migrants have given up lum seekers. the body of a Salvadoran the time that Mexico was explain why. Fewer than
doing more than Demo- 5% have lawyers.
Venezuela’s Maduro offers some crats to address illegal im- Juan Carlos Perla, 37, said
migration.
all five legal-services agen-
diplomacy with Colombia American officials praised cies that U.S. authorities say
President Andres Manuel provide free representa-
Lopez Obrador's govern- tion in San Diego declined
CARACAS, Venezuela Duque asked Venezuela to loyal to Maduro. "Enough ment last week after secu- to represent him. Many at-
(AP) — Venezuelan Presi- return the former lawmak- of such senselessness,¨ he rity forces repelled a cara- torneys refuse to represent
dent Nicolás Maduro said er. But rather than apply to said in a nationwide tele- van of Honduran migrants clients in Mexico.
Wednesday he is willing to Maduro's socialist admin- vision broadcast. ¨Put your on Mexico's southern bor- The Perlas abandoned their
mend broken diplomatic istration, Duque's govern- feet on the ground and let's der with Guatemala. small bakery in El Salvador's
relations with neighboring ment asked opposition be pragmatic. Iván Duque "Mexico continues to be a capital for Mexico in De-
Colombia by restoring con- lawmaker Juan Guaidó, you are making a serious true partner in addressing cember 2018, arriving dur-
sular services amid a stand- the congressional leader mistake.¨ this regional crisis," Mark ing a small window when
off stemming from the cap- who has been campaign- Maduro said Duque´s ¨ex- Morgan, acting commis- the Mexican government
ture of a fugitive lawmaker. ing to remove Maduro. tremism¨ and ¨immaturity¨ sioner of U.S. Customs and issued one-year humani-
Police in Venezuela this Maduro cut diplomatic ties harms the security of both Border Protection, said on tarian visas with permission
week arrested Aída Mer- with Colombia early last Colombia and Venezuela. Twitter. to work. The family told
lano, a former senator in year after it threw its support "This would be fixed very U.S. border authorities say U.S. immigration authorities
Colombia who escaped to Guaidó along with the quickly if there was com- the policy has contributed that they could not pay ex-
jailers to evade a 15-year United States and nearly 60 munication," Maduro said. to a sharp drop in illegal tortion fees to gangs in San
prison sentence on a con- other nations and assisted Duque's administration, crossings, though legal Salvador.
viction including election in a failed attempt to bring however, has accused challenges could modify or "We were told that if we
fraud and weapons charg- humanitarian aid across Venezuela of giving safe even block it. Immigration did not pay the last two
es. With guards waiting out- the border into Venezuela. haven to Colombian rebels judges hear cases in San months, the next time they
side while she underwent While Guaidó holds broad who have been convicted Diego and El Paso, Texas, would come to our house
a dental procedure, she international support and of multiple crimes. while other asylum-seekers not to beat us but to kill us,"
slipped down a rope from claims presidential powers Colombian Foreign Minis- report to tent courts in the Ruth Aracely Monroy, 26,
the third-story window and as head of the National As- ter Claudia Blum defended Texas cities of Laredo and Perla's partner and mother
then made her way across sembly, he has no practical the yearlong international Brownsville, where they are to their children, told U.S.
the border into Venezuela. control over government effort to isolate Maduro connected to judges by officials, according to a
Learning of the arrest, Co- institutions such as Venezu- despite such practical video. transcript. "We left to save
lombian President Iván elan police, which remain problems.q This month, judges in El our lives."q