Forced to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum

Brut America

Asylum seeker, Maite Romero, is one of the thousands being forced to wait in Mexico under dangerous conditions — even after President Biden's policy change.

Transcript

00:00These are the conditions we live in.

00:03Here we share the house with the lady who gave us support.

00:07Here is where we cook with the lady.

00:11This is the part of the living room.

00:31I have been locked up, hidden.

00:35When I was pregnant, they tried to kidnap me.

00:39After they tried to kidnap me,

00:42I have been hidden with my children, with my baby.

00:46Locked up, without freedom, without going anywhere,

00:51out of fear of being kidnapped.

00:54We, the migrants, being here in Tijuana,

00:57when people see us, when they hear us speak,

01:01they know that we are not from here, from Tijuana.

01:04They know that we are migrants and that is the danger.

01:12We were victims of robbery, extortion.

01:16We were chased by an armed group that operates in Venezuela,

01:20called the Aragua train.

01:58I lost my cut. I have been here for two years.

02:01I lost it for health reasons. I was pregnant.

02:05I ask you to help me, please.

02:07I don't know what is going to happen to me.

02:09I am very desperate. Please help me.

02:21My death case is a prime example

02:24of the uncertainty faced by those who don't have an active case

02:29or have lost their case.

02:32People like Maite and her family need immediate opportunities

02:37to reapply for asylum in the U.S.

02:40in order to escape their current high-risk situation here in Mexico.

02:55The U.S. Department of Human Rights

03:04Multiple human rights organizations have verified cases of violence

03:10and serious crimes against this population,

03:13including murder, kidnapping, disappearance,

03:16and multiple forms of intersectional gender violence.

03:20People under NPP are also at serious risk of infection and illness.

03:26For instance, those living in makeshift camps in places like Matamoros,

03:31near the Texas border, do not have access to drinking water.

03:36They occupy overcrowded houses

03:39and lack resources to avoid contagions like COVID-19 and other diseases.

03:50The U.S. Department of Human Rights

04:01I came to ask for asylum in the U.S.

04:04because I want protection for my children.

04:08I want them to be safe,

04:10not like us, their parents in Venezuela.

04:14I don't want them to be afraid.

04:16We want freedom for our children, for us.

04:20We want a better future.

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