MIAMI – After years of waiting in countries bestalked by violence, Central Americans who, however, were allowed to reunite with their families in the United States, face a major obstacle: the coronavirus pandemic.
Only about 338, or 12%, of the other 2,700 people approved to come to the United States as part of a small refugee program have come from a court settlement more than a year ago, according to the latest government data. on the program, however, an opinion on said that those already allowed can simply travel.
After crossing legal hurdles and strict controls that force them to show that they are threatened in Central America, refugees have faced further delays because the pandemic has failed flights, canceled interviews, and closed clinics conducting medical examinations.
And when they nevertheless arrive, they have a prestige of transitoryness for which they will have to continue applying, face long waits for paintings they may not receive, and worry about being separated from their families while Trump takes forceful and legal action. illegal immigration.
“We think that at any moment, she can knock on the door and say ‘you’re leaving,'” said Lupe, a 24-year-old Salvadoran who arrived in New York in July to meet her father after seven years. . waiting. ” There’s a lot of anxiety that comes with that. “
Lupe, who made his last call because he fears from gang-threatened relatives in El Salvador, came to the United States through the Central American Youth Program or CAM.
Created through President Barack Obama in 2014, the country’s parents must legally apply for refugee prestige for their youth that show they are threatened in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, where gang violence and poverty are widespread.
The Trump administration closed CAM in 2017 on a series of executive orders that tightened immigration controls. Officials say Trump’s policies are designed to deal with a wave of asylum applications and unfounded claims in Central America.
The families were sued and an agreement was reached last year after a U. S. ruling in California ordered the government to resume repair of those approved for the CAM program when it ended. damage by preventing young whistleblowers from escaping danger.
Lupe passed a medical exam for the CAM program in January, but the virus canceled advertising flights two months later. He waited another 4 months until he could catch a repatriation flight, basically bringing US citizens and permanent legal citizens back to the United States. .
“The pandemic has delayed that, ” he said.
Now Lupe wonders if he can paint to help his circle of relatives return to El Salvador. officials to approve the authorization of paintings for others like her who come for humanitarian reasons, and there is a threat that this will be rejected.
Meanwhile, many are still waiting in Central America, those who have triumphed over all the pitfalls expect to have an area on a repatriation flight like Lupe. the judicial agreement.
A 56-year-old woman who owns a store and a small car sales business in Santa Ana, western El Salvador, has been looking to succeed in her husband on the U. S. CAM since 2016. because she says gangs threatened her, she entered the program when she expanded to come with some relatives of other people in the United States despite age.
His daughter controlled to enroll for her father in Maryland in 2017 before Trump closed the show. The Salvadoran mother hasn’t noticed her husband in 20 years and was hopeful when she was told to pass her medical exam in January, but the clinic closed because of the pandemic She was still able to do an exam in late August and is now waiting for a date.
“I was very frustrated, very sad to be with my family,” she told The Associated Press on the phone.
She said she was terrified when she began receiving death threats in 2013. Tattooed men came to a car wash she had had in the past to ask for “monthly compensation” for letting her operate. He says he has gained many threats since . . . through calls, text messages and social media.
“It was very difficult. I had to face everything on my own,” he says.
His dream is to open a new bankruptcy with his circle of relatives in the United States.
“I prayed to God to be with my family circle and he completed it,” she said.
Others have hope. U. S. Citizenship and ImmigrationBut it’s not the first time He had processed nearly 1,000 travel cases until June 12.
Many applicants had to re-perform medical examinations that expired when the trial was resolved last year. Since March, 157 medical examinations have expired due to the limited number of workers and floor flights to the pandemic, according to the government report.
“We have families who were in a position to leave, who were at the airport and who couldn’t travel,” said Ruth Mendez of the Integration Center for Migrants, Workers and Workers, or CIMITRA, an organization in El Salvador that is helping CAM candidates.
The delays are due to Trump targeting other humanitarian programs. It has reduced the number of resetend refugees in the United States to a peak of 18,000 this fiscal year, below 85,000 in the last full year of Obama’s term. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden needs to do so, bringing him up to 125,000.
Trump also needs to end transitority coverage status, or GST, the program that has brought many parents of CAM applicants to Ettas-Unis. Il benefits immigrants from countries devastated by herbal errors, civil conflicts or other problems. situations caused by errors or conflicts no longer exist.
As demands call for an effort to complete the GST, more than 195,000 Salvadorans and more than 57,000 Hondurans can see their permits expire in January, putting them at risk of deportation.
The long term is also not transparent to a 44-year-old Salvadoran and her son, who arrived on the CAM program in July and lost her 18-year-old job at a hotel in Washington, D. C. , because of the pandemic. -One-year-old son has applied for a paint permit but does not know when or if it will be approved.
The woman did not respond to her call because she says the gangs threatened her daughter in El Salvador, who was unable to complete her application before Trump finished the show.
“I had mixed feelings, ” he said. I am very satisfied because my son comes to Array . . . but extraordinarily dissatisfied because my daughter didn’t.
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Torrens reported from New York.
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