There are 3 ports of entry here. But asylum seekers are all routed to only one.
All 7 women I talked to yesterday were given a number, DMV style, and told to come back.
All were terrified and all wished they could stay home.
And any contact with police, however minor, would be used offensively to create a 'red flag' to separate parent from child. eg, getting swept up in a raid.
Still seeing referrals for criminal prosecution, apparently, but it is reduced since zero tolerance was rolled back.
The best part is the look on a client's face when she starts to understand the system.
These are people just trying to make it. Asylum law is clumsy and a very poor tool to help them, but we use what we can.
I talked to a couple of musicians about growing up in Tijuana.
Militarized borders (born of fear and bigotry) cut off prosperity on both sides, but you see it on this side of the border.
It's about INEQUALITY.
1. The existing law is being used as much as possible to deny people the right to apply. Bureaucracy, new interpretations, new policies.
2. The anti-immigrant movement will not stop until they've completely killed the right to apply for asylum.
Look but don't touch. The answer is always no. Not sorry, not try later, not try something else.
Just no.