Learn – Refugees Seeking Safety

Suchitoto El Salvador. On July 2, 2007, 14 activists were arrested and faced 20-60 years in prison for partaking in a nonviolent, permitted protest against the privatization of water. The 14 were originally charged with “public disorder,” but the government changed these charges to apply to their new “anti-terror” law that criminalizes protests as “Acts against the State.” Read more: http://www.opticalrealities.org/Photo-Exhibits/Mishkan-Shalom/

6 REALITIES: We have broken down what you need to learn into 6 realities.

The refugee crisis has received a lot of attention. Unaccompanied minors from Central America, Syrian refugees, Rohingya refugees, and more have added up to the largest movement of displaced people since World War II. However, the sheer numbers and complexity of causes may lead people to tune out the daily headlines. We have simplified the complex reality of refugees into 6 aspects of the reality. We have curated a list of resources we found helpful so that you will have some basic background on the type of choices refugees make.

Our Cabrini CRS Ambassadors divided up into groups and each group become knowledgeable about one aspect of the refugee crisis and then explained what they learned to the other groups.

First, start with this excellent overview video explanation by Juan Sheenan of CRS. Juan is the CRS Country Representative for Honduras. In 23 minutes, he boils down what he deals with on a daily basis in Honduras.

1. Why kids are leaving their homes (Push Factors)

3-min. video why children flee.
Why Central American children are fleeing their home. This article explains the push factors driving people from Central America to the United States.
Why so many kids cross the border alone. It’s not a decision any family makes lightly.
The horrors driving thousands of Central American kids to take the dangerous journey to the U.S. This article tells the story of a young girl and why she chose to leave home. It also includes a photo gallery depicting some of the horrors these refugees face.

2. The journey

A Smuggled Girl’s Odyssey of False Promises and Fear. This article tells the step by step story of a young girl fleeing her home for safety. Here is a PDF if the link above doesn’t work.
The Golden Dream. We found this fictional movie of teenage Guatemalan migrants to give a sense of the reality. Rent on Amazon.
Enrique’s Journey by Sonya Nazario has been widely read. Students at Cabrini have found it the best way to understand the journey and the consequences.

3. The border

Video: America’s child migrant crisis, explained in 2 minutes.
Amid Wave Of Child Immigrants, Reports Of Abuse By Border Patrol. This articles is about the abuse many refugees face from the border patrol.
What happens when unaccompanied children arrive at the U.S. border? This article goes into detail about how the US treats these refugees when they come into our country looking for help.

4. Detention

Short video look inside detention center.
The Shame of America’s Family Detention Camps. An in-depth New York Times article about the detention camps.
Step-by-Step Guide on Apprehension and Detention of Juveniles in the United States. This is a step by step process of how the minors are taken into custody and detained.

5. Deportation

Alone and Afraid: Refugee Children Face Deportation Without Legal Representation
4 min. video of one girl’s story. Angela’s Story and the growing humanitarian situation for unaccompanied minors
Unaccompanied minors are representing themselves in immigration court, alarming advocates. This talks about the fact that children have no right to a lawyer in immigration court.

6. Hoping to Reunite with Family in the U.S.

What Is Happening with Immigrant Children at the Southern Border?. We invite you to support this work however you can – through donations, prayers, advocacy, or even applying to become a foster parent. We ask, too, that you work with us to promote compassion, empathy, and education.
Where are the children? For extortionists, undocumented migrants have become big business. This New Yorker article shows how kidnapping of children for ransom has become a big business. The story is about two Guatemalan boys who were kidnapped in Texas as they were trying to make it to Trenton where their parents were. Here is a PDF if the link doesn’t work.

Video of simulation at Cabrini College

This 15-minute video shows how one group of college students presented a simulation of what it might be like for unaccompanied minor children to attempt to come to the United States to escape gang violence in their home country.