San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Examining the U.S. asylum system
Returned, a multi-part series on the U.S. asylum system, takes a deep dive into an issue that has put San Diego’s border in the national spotlight. The first installment, published today, follows the story of one woman’s journey. Immigration reporter Kate Morrissey discusses her project and gives a sneak peek at what is to come.
Q:
What made you decide to do this project?
A:
I’ve been interested in and writing about the asylum system since I began covering immigration for the Union-tribune in 2016. But it wasn’t until the two caravans of Central American migrants arrived at the Tijuana-san Diego border in 2018 that the general public really seemed to show interest in understanding that system. As one of the major news organizations that is located here on the border, it seemed like an important story for us to dig deeply into. I feel fortunate that my editors gave me their blessing to do that work. I’ve spent the last nine months learning every aspect of the system that I can and distilling that into stories that would be both interesting and informative for our readers. These stories raise several questions: What responsibility do we have to help people whose lives are legitimately in danger? Where should we draw the line on who we choose to protect and who we do not?
Q:
What were you hoping to learn from this project, and what do you expect readers to take away?
A:
Beneath the political pingpong match that is happening with regard to immigration — and the asylum system in particular — is a government accountability story. Congress created the asylum system for a reason. I wanted to understand that reasoning and look at whether the system is achieving what it was meant to do. The different parts of the project ask that question in different ways and unpack the layers and nuances of that question. The goal is not to provide readers a simple yes-or-no answer — there isn’t one — but rather to give them all of the information to answer it themselves and to decide how much their answer to that question matters to them.
Q:
The first installment of your project involved travel to Nicaragua. Was there anything that particularly surprised you?
A:
There is a profound feeling of loss and of betrayal within the Nicaraguan people because of what the government under the Ortega regime has done to them. On top of that, Nicaraguans are afraid to trust each other — the government has a strong network of spies and lookouts in every neighborhood who are ready to report behavior that would be unacceptable to the regime. In nearly every interview, I noticed the way that people’s eyes shone with a wetness that appears when people who haven’t been able to speak their truth are finally allowed to talk about their experiences in a candid way. It’s an emotional response that naturally happens when a human being finally feels heard.
Q:
What was it like working as a reporter in Nicaragua?
A:
We knew that the Nicaraguan government monitors the activity of foreign journalists in the country. The Ortega regime has worked to quiet the country’s own media — many journalists are currently in exile. Their newsrooms have been taken over by government forces. And so, we were constantly looking over our shoulders. It was especially challenging for our photographer Nelvin Cepeda, who did tremendous work to bring the story to life without being able to safely have his cameras out on the street or identify many of our interview subjects.
Q:
Why was it so important to be able to fact-check the case of Bárbara, the woman featured in your story today?
A:
I wanted to know how strong her case was. In immigration court, judges look at what evidence an asylum seeker presents, and they also look at credibility — how believable the asylum seeker is. Do the details of her story remain consistent each time she tells it? Are there parts of the narrative that don’t make sense? Does she seem like she’s hiding something? Are there gaps? What I found with Bárbara, no matter how many times I went back to her to re-ask questions as I worked through the reporting process, was that she is incredibly consistent. Her version of what happened also lines up with the stories of witnesses who I interviewed in Nicaragua. Even with all of that, I still don’t know what the judge will decide. The asylum system is known for inconsistent decisions, and that tension is part of what makes Bárbara’s story so powerful.
Q:
For many of the quotes in your first installment, you kept the original Spanish in quotes and put the English in italics. Why is that?
A:
I made that choice for a couple of reasons. I know many people in the San Diego area read both languages, and I wanted to be able to share the person’s actual words with those readers. It also felt more honest and is a way of showing respect for the culture that I am writing about.
Q:
When can we expect your next story in the series, and what will it focus on about the system?
A:
We plan to run the stories several weeks apart. The next piece tells the story of a San Diegan who managed to win asylum in the United States, and it takes a dataheavy look at outcomes in the system nationally.