

Good things don’t always come to those who wait. 


Consider Laura’s story. 


Laura had heard that the United States had begun separating parents from their children, but she believed that coming through a port of entry would protect her and her son from that new form of government-sanctioned terror. Laura obviously had not heard that she could still have Nicolas taken from her at the port of entry, as has happened to a number of families over this past year based on criteria of ineligibility to stay together, like suspicion of smuggling, that CBP refuses to release or to consult with child welfare experts about.

Laura’s hopes and good intentions ran into a gauntlet formed by three U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers standing just on the U.S. side of that boundary marker. The officers were stopping and turning away anyone who had intended to request asylum from entering the United States.

“They keep telling me to go come back later, that there is no room for people like me (asylum seekers), and that I should try again in five or six hours,” Laura explained. “But I have been here for three days, along with these other people waiting here, and no one gets in.”

Although a stiff breeze from the Gulf swept across the bridge, the heat was sweltering and the sun merciless. There were no water fountains or restrooms. Laura and the other families camped out on the Mexican side of the boundary were depending upon the kindness of strangers for their necessities. The people waiting on the bridge were miserable, and they were becoming desperate. One supervisor, when confronted about a mother and child who had been sitting on the bridge for days, candidly admitted, “I don’t really care.” Other CBP officers acknowledged that a supervisor, in fact, can allow an asylum seeker to cross the boundary line.

More than six weeks have passed since Laura and Nicolas were sitting on that bridge, just a couple of feet from Brownsville. We do not know what has happened to them or to the others who were enduring the hellish misery over those long days. Perhaps, in the end, Laura had been let through the bridge checkpoint and allowed to make her application for asylum. And perhaps she and her son were allowed to be together, or maybe they were separated. Maybe Jeff Sessions and Kirstjen Nielsen’s underlings forced Laura into the Sophie’s choice of choosing to be deported with her son or to be separated from him. Perhaps Laura gave up on coming into the U.S. at the port of entry and took her chances by crossing through the river.  The uncertainty can drive an advocate mad, but it pales to the agony these families go through.

In the days just prior to the July 26 deadline to reunite separated families, there were five families waiting in the sun at the Brownsville/Matamoros port. In other ports of entry, like Roma, Texas, CBP officers are telling advocates that there were no asylum seekers waiting for entry because Roma is no longer a “designated port.” Yet, when asked by advocates which ports are designated for entry by asylum seekers, CBP headquarters in Washington says that all are — it merely prefers that asylum seekers go to the “bigger” ports. CBP also says the “backlogs” are because they don’t have the capacity to hold or process asylum seekers, but when asked about its capacity, it cannot give a straight answer. And CBP is still taking days to process asylum seekers even when their offices are empty.

Over the border, in Mexico, advocates have noticed that Mexican immigration agents are stopping individuals and families they suspect of being asylum applicants to review their paperwork. If an immigrant does not have papers allowing lawful presence in Mexico, they are detained and put into deportation, even if valid papers may have been lost or stolen during the immigrants’ passage through Mexico. Two Mexican agents admitted to one advocate that they were “doing dirty work for the US” in keeping families from presenting themselves to US officials.

CBP needs to clarify for the public and the nongovernmental organizations what its protocols are, and what guidelines it abides by. Congress should hold a hearing to inquire about CBP’s actions to refuse and delay asylum applications at ports of entry.


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So what. Go back home

Dr. Timothy Leary

Why are all these people suddenly seeking asylum in the United States? Why don't they put a yamaka on their head and seek asylum in Israel?

C. Brewer

Is this all you do, harass these posts? You are one sad SOB!

Dr. Timothy Leary

I am not sad at all Mr. Brewer. It makes me happy to make crazy comments here. It's more fun than cutting chickens heads off.

E. Sheppard

This is not right. We need to allow these people entry into the United States. We need them! We must also keep ALL the families together, and FIND the missing children and parents so they can be unified.

Just Wondering

If you're being abused and need to escape why would you put yourself and your children through the arduous and dangerous trip through three countries to get to the US instead of one or two countries? Could it be that you jad heard the US will give you a lot of frer benefits if you use the magic word "asylum"?


There are thousands of mothers who with their children fled from the horror's of family abuse. With no other option, these mothers can be found living and raising their children on the streets, homeless, hungry, hot, cold, scared and alone. What's unique about the women and children mentioned above is that they are US citizens. The desire to expand the number of homeless and impoverished citizens in this nation is obscene, adding to the already staggering population is insane and irresponsible.


How true that we have a lot abused women and children that are homeless in America. What is do special about these women who come here? Nothing. What about American Parents who lost their love ones who were killed by illegals aliens what about their rights to have their love one with them. Their love ones had the right to live in peace and safe in America.


The USA have a bunch of liars at the border who commit horrible crimes against asylum seekers such as beaten rape murder etc America isn't the white man's country they lied manipulated murdered and stole it from the Native Americans let the Native Americans say who can come into they Country not the double fork tougne white devil.


Sad that anyone would be refused a chance to find a safe place for themselves and their children. I have never seen such fear and mean spirited actions against people that are not a threat to our way of life in the US.


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