US presidential candidates blamed the deaths on the administration.ĭemocratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called the situation “inhumane.” “The Pope is profoundly saddened by their death, and is praying for them and for all migrants who have lost their lives while seeking to flee war and misery,” Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said. The Vatican issued a statement saying Pope Francis “is profoundly saddened” by the deaths. “This is compounded by the absence of safe pathways for people to seek protection, leaving people with no other choice than to risk their lives.” “The deaths of Oscar and Valeria represent a failure to address the violence and desperation pushing people to take journeys of danger for the prospect of a life in safety and dignity,” the high commissioner, Filippo Grandi, said. Hill said the government is working with Mexican authorities to repatriate the remains.Įl Salvador’s newly elected President Nayib Bukele said the government would help the family financially.Īfter news of the image spread, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called for “all countries in the region to take immediate and coordinated steps to prevent further tragedies like this from occurring. “I beg you, to all the families, parents, don’t risk it. “Our country is in mourning, again,” she said. US asylum seekers face long waits or risky crossings, thanks to supposed capacity crunch Kevin and his father traveled by train from Guatemala, and are on a waitlist to apply for asylum at the Nogales, Arizona, port of entry. Kevin Ajtun, 16, waits for a ride to a migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, below the US border. In Matamoros alone, more than 2,000 migrants had been waiting at the end of May “in conditions of hunger and overcrowding” to seek asylum at ports where, according to La Jornada, US agents granted an average of three appointments per week. Turnbacks and long waits also often push asylum seekers into crossing the border illegally, according to a September report by the Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. But US policies that make it harder for those seeking asylum to turn themselves in at ports of entry are pushing more migrants to take deadly risks and cross in more dangerous areas, advocates have said, warning the number of deaths at the border will increase. Ports of entry along the border have long been overwhelmed by the surging asylum claims, Customs and Border Protection officials have said. De Luc told CNN en Español the family arrived at the bridge Sunday planning to seek asylum, but they were told it was closed and they would have to return the following day. The victim’s wife said they had obtained a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government.īy Sunday, Martinez and his family decided to cross the river out of desperation about 400 meters (437 yards) away from the Puerta México international bridge in Matamoros. The family traveled north to Mexico, where they stayed for two months in scorching heat – temperatures climbed to 113 degrees Fahrenheit at times, La Jornada reported. The other photo that shows what's happening now at the border (Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP/Getty Images) Herika Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested Friday he and US counterpart Donald Trump should hold their first meeting in September to review progress on the countries' recent migration deal. TOPSHOT - Mexican National Guard members prevent Central American migrants from crossing the Rio Bravo, in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua, on June 21, 2019. The haunting image offers a glimpse into the suffering asylum seekers face on the US-Mexico border. Their bodies were found Monday on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, near Matamoros, across the river from Brownsville.Įnrique Maciel Cervantes, director of the Tamaulipas Institute for Migrants, said the two bodies were on their way to the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon on Wednesday and will “possibly” be repatriated to El Salvador by Thursday. The newspaper talked to the man’s widow, Tania, who said she saw her husband and child carried away Sunday. The father clung to the little girl in red pants and black shoes, but a strong current swept over and drowned them, Le Duc wrote for Mexican newspaper La Jornada. Courtesy Rosa Ramirezīut when Angie Valeria saw her father swimming away, she jumped in after him, Julia Le Duc, the photographer who captured the image of the pair, told CNN en Español on Wednesday. Oscar Alberto Martínez and his daughter Angie Valeria.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |