Early August on the back porch of one of the apartments in Nogales, Sonora. Veronica embroidered and took part in our Bordadora Project. In the background you can see the border wall and the US beyond it.
As described in our last newsletter, Veronica from Venezuela fled her home in April, arriving in Nogales, Sonora in May. We got to know her while she stayed in one of our apartments. The following is a continuation of her story, and a testament to the “village that it takes” to support a migrant’s passage.
Daily, for over three months, Veronica tried unsuccessfully to secure an asylum interview appointment through the CBP One app.
Jobless (non-Mexicans are unable to work in Mexico), endlessly waiting, wondering — it all takes a toll. She decided to try entering the US through the metering system (another post-Title 42 option) at the Nogales Port of Entry.
She waited in line, round the clock, camping on the floor with a few dozen other asylum seekers for 72 hours. I kept her company a few times at night and learned that she and some of the other women were rationing their water intake, during triple-digit daytime temperatures, because they didn't feel safe searching for a restroom at night.
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