The stories of some immigrants who come to Florida include terror, like the plight of a Honduran mother of two who fled domestic abuse and gang violence in her home country. She braved the 3,000-mile trek to the U.S. border after gang members threatened to kill her 6-year-old son if she did not tell them where her husband was.
This happened shortly after she left her abusive husband. Pregnant and caring for a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old, she chose to seek asylum in the United States. Her fellow migrants in the caravan at the border recognized her needs as greater than their own. When immigration officials resumed processing asylum seekers after a long delay, the migrants camping at the border gave her and eight other people the first spots in line.
The humanitarian organizations Human Rights First and Pueblo Sin Fronteras reported that immigration authorities were processing her application. She admits that she does not know what to do except that she cannot risk returning to her home country.
A person facing bodily harm or death in a home country may be able to gain entry to the United States through the asylum program. Immigration officials might recognize the threat of persecution based on membership in certain social groups, political views, religion or race. An attorney may support someone seeking asylum by striving to prepare a complete and accurate application. An attorney’s knowledge of the bureaucracy might help a person avoid paperwork mistakes and understand their rights under immigration law when interacting with authorities.
Source: CNN, “Migrants picked this pregnant mother of 2 to go to the front of the asylum line“, Michelle Krupa, May 1, 2018
