Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are consumed by what is essentially an undeclared regional war, with murder rates nearly 20 times higher than that of the United States.
Transnational cartels and street gangs control huge swaths of neighborhoods throughout the region. They influence
politicians, the police, and the military. They are destroying innocent lives.
People who oppose or defy the cartels are tortured, raped, dismembered, or executed. Innocent boys and girls are forced to serve the cartels as child soldiers and sex slaves.
Central American children and mothers flee their homes because their lives are in peril. For many, the choice is to flee or die.
Listen to The Advocates for Human Rights' Deepinder Mayell, director of the organization's Refugee and Immigrant Program, explain the Central America refugee crisis.
They travel a dangerous road
Traveling one of the world's most dangerous migration routes, thousands of little feet make the perilous journey to the Mexico-U.S. border in search of a safe life.
Many make the death-defying journey perched atop freight trains called "The
Beast." They cling to the sides and scale ladders of moving trains,
hoping their bodies don't get pulled under.
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Whether by train, foot, or bus, only a fraction of asylum seekers make it to the U.S. border unscathed.
As one child explained, “If you stay, you will die; if you leave, you might . . . either way it’s better to try.”
Once they reach our borders, most are stockpiled in prison-like detention centers in unbearable, degrading conditions.
Hear volunteer attorney Kim Hunter share her first-hand experience of life in a detention center.
The Advocates steps in and saves lives
Asylum seekers are not provided with legal representation by the
U.S. government. They are left to fend for themselves to deal with complex,
English-only legal documents and other obstacles. Without an attorney,
asylum seekers will likely be deported to their home country and back to
the danger they fled.
The Advocates' volunteer attorney and board member Ann Lockner shares her clients' personal account of the horrific violence they faced in Central America.
These people have legitimate claims to asylum
With
the help of an attorney, their odds to stay in the United States
increase exponentially, giving them the opportunity to begin new lives
without fear of death, abuse, or persecution.
Through The
Advocates' volunteer model, attorneys
provide free legal represen-tation to hundreds of people seeking asylum.
With asylum, people can be safe, get jobs, support their
families, and participate in community life.
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Join The Advocates for Human Rights in the fight to save lives
Your help is vital to ensure innocent people get the help they desperately need.
Help Central American asylum seekers by clicking on the pink 'CONTRIBUTE NOW' button at top right corner of the page.
Your money will be put to good use:
-
Attorneys will represent Central American asylum seekers in court.
- Interpreters will translate so asylum seekers and attorneys can communicate, and asylum seekers can tell their story and understand the situation around them.
- Attorneys across the country will be able to access resources created by The Advocates.
Together, we make a difference. Thank you for your support!
Spearheading this important campaign is The Advocates for Human Rights, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is at the forefront of the world's human rights movement. It envisions a world in which people live
with dignity, freedom, justice, equality, and peace. A volunteer-based organization, The Advocates saves lives, fights
injustice, restores peace, and builds the human rights movement here at
home and around the world . . . because every
person matters.
The Advocates for Human Rights is proud to be recognized by Charity Navigator as a four star charity, receiving its highest ranking.
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Volunteer attorney Jennifer Mojica talks about the importance of refugees being represented by attorneys in these asylum cases.
Listen to Loan Huynh, The Advocates' board member and volunteer attorney,
share her story of being a refugee.