Tonight, Guatemalan asylum seeker Hermelindo Che Coc was reunited w/ his 6-yr-old son, Jefferson at LAX. The two were separated at the border, didn’t see each other nearly 2 months. The boy had a vacant look in his eyes. Also a cough, bruise on his eye & rashes all over his body.
We spent the evening w/ Hermelindo as he prepared to see his son for the 1st time since they were separated at the border. The father was excited. He mopped the floors, cooked him chicken soup & bought him new clothes with money given to him by his father in law. 
In a drawer alongside Jefferson’s new clothes, Hermelindo keeps a bible, his immigration documents and this: A few phrases he’s trying to learn in English. # 1 on his list: Yo quiero mi niño. I want my child.
Hermelindo rides to LAX with his @ImmDef attorney. He’s in awe of the downtown skyline. “Is the beach nearby?” he asks. “What’s it look like?” His lawyers bought Jefferson a balloon & soccer ball to celebrate his boy’s upcoming 7th birthday on July 20.
Hermelindo waits at a lounge set up by the airline. Surrounded by first class luxury & fancy coffee table books all the father can think of is his son. He cried & prays & sets a timer to track the minutes. He sees a photo of an aircraft & asks if that’s how big his son’s plane is
Is that how big my son’s plane is? Yes. He laughs. He can’t believe his tiny 6-year-boy is inside such a huge plane.
Hermelindo waits down a long corridor to finally reunite with his 6-year-old soon, Jefferson. “He’s the love of my life, my hero,” he said.
On the drive home, Jefferson’s mama calls from Guatemala. How are you, my love? Happy to be with papa, he says. Then he dozes off with the phone in his hands. As he sleeps, his body jolts every few minutes. He’s scared. “I’m here, I’m here,” Hermelindo whispers.
After a long odyssey and a full of traveling from New York, Jefferson arrives at the small home where he will be staying with his father and grandfather. Papa Jacinto took him in his arms the moment he saw the boy.
The moment Hermelindo & his son saw each other. Jefferson stopped down a corridor, several feet from his father. He stared at the floor. When he looked up, his eyes were vacant. He didn’t reach for Che Coc, didn’t lift his arms to hug him. “Papa,” Hermelindo cried. “Papa.”
Here is our full story on Hermelindo and his son's reunion. This was a long odyssey. Now that they're free and back together, their fight 4 political asylum begins. So does the healing as Jefferson works through the trauma of being split from his father. lat.ms/2zFKSTt
Truly powerful photographs by @yamphoto capturing the reunion and homecoming of Jefferson Che Pop, a 6-year-old who was split from his father nearly two months at the border. Father & son came north to seek asylum.
lat.ms/2zFKSTt
lat.ms/2zFKSTt
Truly powerful photographs by @yamphoto capturing the reunion and homecoming of Jefferson Che Pop, a 6-year-old who was split from his father nearly two months at the border. Father & son came north to seek asylum.
Our video of Hermelindo & his 6-year-old son’s reunion just reached 1 MILLION views. Thank u 4 viewing, reading, sharing & discussing. Tomorrow I’ll be answering a few questions about the story, also sharing more details from my notebook that didn’t make the final piece. 🙏🏻
El sábado, el solicitante de asilo Guatemalteco Hermelindo Che Coc se reunió con su hijo de 6 años en LAX. Fueron separados en la frontera por 2 meses. El niño tenía una mirada vacía. También una tos, un golpe en el ojo y erupciones en todo el cuerpo. lat.ms/2NT8siJ
Details from my notebook that didn't make final cut: For 25 days, Hermelindo was detained w/o news of his son. He was given a phone #, but calls never went through. He stopped eating. Detainees would tell him, “u must eat or your son won’t recognize u when he sees you.” @yamphoto
Hermelindo worked in corn and bean fields in Guatemala. Crime drove him north with one thousand quetzales. ($133) His wife had just given birth, they also had a 3-year-old. Before he left he told her: "Only leave the house if u have to. If u do, go with relatives." @yamphoto
In his Guatemalan village, Hermelindo knew Trump was president, but news did not reach him about his immigration policies. After all he’s been through, he says he appreciates this country. “I can never say America is no good because people have helped me.” @yamphoto
Hermelindo wasn’t sure what changes to expect in his son. He was ready to seek expert help with his boy’s trauma. “He’s my first son,” he said. “When he’s big one day, he’ll be a father, too. I want him to take care of others, to do good things in the world.” @yamphoto
Hermelindo plans to fight his asylum case with his son while his wife, Margarita, and two younger sons remain in Guatemala. He would never want them to come north the way he and Jefferson did. He fears they could also be separated. “I’ve learned my lesson,” he said. @yamphoto
After seeing his son, Hermelindo was disturbed & shaken. The 6-year-old was vacant, lost. He had rashes all over his body, a red bruise on his eye, a cough & runny nose. He was much thinner. This is not how I gave them my son, he cried. My son has come back to me sick. @yamphoto
In coming weeks, Hermelindo wants Jefferson to enroll in school, make friends, learn English. He hopes to get a work permit, which could take more than six months. Meanwhile, his father-in-law, who works at a factory, is providing food and shelter for him and and his son.
Now that Hermelindo is w/ his son, he longs for simple things. He wants 2 give him a bath, as he used to in Guatemala after coming home from working in the corn fields. He wants lay his fresh clothes on the bed & take him to a park he recently discovered down the street @yamphoto
Thank u for reading, sharing and engaging with our in-depth story about Hermelindo & Jefferson. Please note: I'm receiving hundreds of messages each hour on Twitter. It's impossible 2 keep track. Best 2 send specific questions 2 me directly by email esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com
Many of you asked how you can help Hermelindo and his 6-yr-old son Jefferson. His @ImmDef attorneys just posted news of this fund. gofundme.com/support-hermel…
