Migrant caravan pushes into Mexico
Thousands of Central American migrants who have crossed from Guatemala into Mexico continue marching toward the US
third of its original size. Many of those who sought asylum in the US were parents and children who were separated under the zero-tolerance policy that criminally prosecuted illegal entrants. (Trump halted the separations on June 20.)
Eric Fish, who represented several migrants in their criminal prosecutions in federal court, said that they were typically mothers, children and young men who had fled violence in their home countries at the hands of gangs or intimate partners.
“It was shocking to me that they were being prosecuted when they were coming here to seek protection from horrific violence,” said Fish, a trial lawyer at the Federal Defenders of San Diego. Of those caravan participants, 403 were referred by United States authorities for “credible fear” interviews, the first step toward applying for asylum in the US, according to the Department of Homeland Security. More than 90 per cent of them passed that step.
Mensing said that his organisation had helped 250 caravan members secure lawyers. So far, three have won asylum. About 30 remain in detention. The majority have been released as their asylum cases wind through the immigration courts.