This post is also available in: Spanish
One of the things that haunts me most at Casa del Migrante ‘Scalabrini’ – Guatemala (CdMSG) is the journey ahead that people traveling north will encounter as they leave CdMSG, continue through Mexico, and arrive at the U.S. border. Migrants in transit have already embarked on a treacherous path, hiking through difficult terrain like the Darien jungle and facing hunger, homelessness, xenophobia, discrimination, robbery, and violence (physical, psychological, and sexual) from police, gangs, and others. We also know that the journey through Mexico presents further dangers: Guatemalans who have migrated through Mexico tell us testimonies that involve lack of food and water, extortion, kidnapping, and permanent risk due to the conditions of the journey. So, we recognize that the path ahead for the people in transit at CdMSG will be difficult and precarious.
And then, what will they find if and when they arrive at the U.S. border? Currently, U.S. asylum policies disregard the lives of people who arrive at the U.S. border seeking protection. It is common that people will be turned around, denied the opportunity to explain their case, required to wait in precarious conditions in Mexico, caught in a messy web of paperwork, language barriers, risks, and vulnerabilities, or deported. Amidst complicated political conversations about immigration and asylum policies, the reality is that individuals and families are migrating for various reasons–including fleeing danger in their home countries–and it is urgent and necessary that they are listened to and receive attention and support with humanity and solidarity.
I am going to share a story of a family in transit (two young kids and their mom and dad) at CdMSG. Their lives were threatened in Colombia and they were given 24 hours to escape. They are traveling with the few possessions on their backs and the money they earn along the way; they did not have time to prepare for this trip. Having traveled through various countries in Central America, they do not see staying here as a viable option. Despite the risks, their destination is the United States, where they hope to find safety and protection. They spend a night at CdMSG, and the next morning, refreshed from a night’s sleep, they continue their journey.
As they go, questions remain for me. How will these two children react to the dangerous trek ahead of them? Why are they forced to go on this perilous journey, through multiple countries, just in search of a safe place to live? And how is it that when they arrive, under current policies, they will most likely receive a harsh ‘No’? What will they do then?
People often ask me if I think they’ll be able to get in when they get to the U.S., and I don’t know what to respond. I talk with them and explain the little that I can, and I listen. I don’t tell them I think the answer is no, it’s not likely that you will be permitted entry. My country will reject, blame, and endanger you, because that’s how the system is.
On March 27, 2023, we witnessed the result of a failed system of migration with the news of the tragedy in a Migration detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico: a fire that caused the death of 40 migrants, including 19 Guatemalans, and many other injuries. This news is very heavy at CdMSG, especially because many workers here have family who migrate or they themselves have migrated; because it was confirmed that one of the victims had been in CdMSG in the weeks prior; and because we had been anticipating the arrival of our Guatemalan neighbors who were going to be deported from the detention center to Guatemala, but they never arrived. We grieve the senseless loss of life of our neighbors, feel frustrated and angry with policies and perspectives that enable tragedies like this (and others less-visible) every day, and yearn for systemic changes that will promote life instead of abuse and destroy it.
At CdMSG, we serve people in mobility to the best of our ability and provide a safe place of respite and humanitarian care with empathy, respect, and quality. A young mother experiencing a panic attack was able to receive skilled psychological attention. A young woman expecting her first child went into labor while at CdMSG and was able to receive the support (and hospital connection) she needed. People who have been deported receive accompaniment and psychological and social support as they establish their next steps. Families and individuals sit down together, enjoy a hot meal, receive clothing and a hygiene kit, shower, sleep, receive information of travel routes, and renew their strength to continue their plan of mobility after breakfast.
I am proud of and grateful for the good work that happens at CdMSG and the way we get to experience and share the love of God with those who come and go. The resources that are used in CdMSG are by donation, and a good synergy, communication, and collaboration exists among the team. The kingdom of God is being lived here at CdMSG.
And yet, we have limits. We cannot change the circumstances that await those who are migrating to the U.S., just like we cannot halt the stream of deportations that shake hundreds of lives each day. It is not possible for one organization to respond to all the needs of the 10,234 people who passed through CdMSG in the past six months (between October, 2022 and March, 2023), and the many more people who migrate in other parts of the world. One organization cannot offer a solution to the various factors that prompt migration, like oppressive and unstable governments, societal violence, the impacts of climate change in rural livelihoods, and a lack of opportunities or stability. As CdMSG, is there more we can do? At some point, we reach our limits, we acknowledge what is beyond our control, and we continue serving diligently in the spaces held by CdMSG.
Responding with justice to the realities of migration requires broadscale national and international teamwork and collaboration led by the Holy Spirit. There are lots of people and organizations in many different places doing little things that are building for a more just and compassionate world. By listening to the voices of communities affected by migration and supporting the endeavors that they themselves are promoting, together we can participate in this work. What is one small step you can do–just one thing you can do where you are to respond to the movement of migrants, immigrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum? I hope we can continue this conversation and respond with concrete actions.
Serving with SALT at CdMSG has given me new eyes to see, learn, and share with my neighbors who are on journeys of migration. I am grateful for the people here who, through explicit conversations and by simply opening their lives with me, teach me how to walk with Christ and carry hope in the contexts we are living. This is a journey that is blessed, always interconnected, challenging, and adorned with signs of beauty, hope, and reasons to continue moving forward in the midst of sorrow.
Katrina Shenk is a SALT participant with MCC Guatemala/El Salvador serving in Guatemala City with Casa del Migrante ‘Scalabrini’ – Guatemala (CdMSG).