Justice and the Freedom to Move

I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

Recently I accompanied Catholic sisters, advocates, and survivors to Washington, DC in support of legislation that breaks the link between forced migration and human trafficking. In congressional offices we attempted to share the stories of families fleeing violence with members of congress and their staff. I think of a woman, we’ll call her Brenda, who shared with us how the Sinaloa cartel tried to forcibly recruit her 16-year-old son in Chiapas. When he refused, they injured his hand and threatened to kill him next. The only recourse Brenda could see for her family was to flee for safety and seek asylum in the U.S. Upon arriving at the US-Mexico border, they learned about the restrictions to access asylum and the 6-8 month wait time to get an initial appointment. It was not safe for any of them to remain in Mexico, and because the cartel was after her son, who is a U.S. citizen, Brenda and her husband made the difficult decision to send him to the U.S. alone. They tried to cross four months later, but were separated in the asylum seeking process, and Brenda was returned to Mexico alone, without her belongings. 

I don’t think it’s possible to convey the effect that these stories had on me when I received them, but the call for justice was clear. I was aware that while I walked in historically powerful halls, families in Nogales, México were praying before they ate their breakfast, working on their applications for asylum, and being deported. It felt like the distance was great between the seemingly legitimate intentions of people in DC and the impact their actions have on those in Nogales and all across the southern border.  

I spend much of my time in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico at the Kino Border Initiative where we accompany people in migration and, increasingly, those deported – particularly since President Biden issued a proclamation that severely restricts noncitizens at the U.S. southern border. Since the majority of people  I meet are internally displaced families from southern Mexico, I find it hard to justify the need for increasing security. 

I often wonder…what is it about families fleeing violence, exploitation, poverty, and the climate crisis that scares us so much? Or worse, why don’t we care enough to act? Few of us will admit to being afraid of or indifferent to poor families. But poverty? Not having enough to go around? Feeling overwhelmed by others’ needs? Perhaps not being able to face the incredible complexity of all the changes going on in the world? For those of us who appear to have relative security in the world, it seems important to ask ourselves what scares us about those who don’t. 

I listen to families share what factors into their decision to pack up and leave behind their home. They let go of who and what they know to journey into the unknown. In my experience, it is usually a choice for life, often motivated by violence and poverty. Mostly the choice to remain is questionable and it becomes non-negotiable when their children are involved. I sit in awe of such pro-life courage. I think of the bravery needed and faith witnessed in such a pilgrimage. I wonder…how would our communities look if we opened the doors wide to people with so much resilience, endurance, fortitude, and capacity to adapt? 

As we celebrate Independence Day this July 4, I honor those who have found independence from the oppression of systemic poverty. I honor those who risk their lives in search of freedom. I honor those who witness the courage to lay down their lives for Life. 

Click on the links below if you’d like to advocate for legislation that breaks the link between forced migration and human trafficking: 

1. Contact your Representative and urge them to provide employment authorization for eligible asylum applicants (HR1325). 
2. Contact your elected officials and advocate to better protect unaccompanied migrant children from human trafficking and reduce immigration court backlog (HR 6145/S 3178)

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