Day 1: I learned that @DHSgov and @CBP are sending LGBT people seeking asylum in the US to Guatemala, a country from which LGBT people flee, under the Asylum Cooperative Agreement. It is not safe for LGBT ppl here -they experience violence, discrimination. hrw.org/news/2018/08/3…
Folks are arriving sleep-deprived, hungry, confused, and about half the time, have no idea they’re being sent to Guatemala. One gay asylum seeker was already attacked here. As seen in the news from @Haleaziz: google.com/amp/s/www.buzz…
When LGBT asylum seekers arrive, they are often too afraid to identify themselves as such for fear of discrimination, meaning what VERY limited support exists for them often remains out of reach. If they are are not cisgender- or heterosexual-passing, they may be denied services.
What services do exist were created for asylum seekers in transit and internally displaced people. In the opinion of local NGOs I’ve talked to so far, Guate is not capable of providing protection to asylum seekers, especially LGBT ppl. The US must immediately stop these returns.
