Georgia Teen’s Aunt among Caravan Headed for United States

Georgia Teen’s Aunt among Caravan Headed for United States

Honduran Immigrants of the Caravan

The annual “Stations of the Cross” caravan was bigger than ever before and Honduran-American, Carmen de Leon has distant family making the trip.

De Leon’s aunt is one of the many Central American migrants traveling in a massive group, marching for their rights and protesting the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

For de Leon’s relatives, the journey to Mexico began two weeks ago. She began talking to her aunt for the first time in months just a month before the caravan was scheduled to leave.

As a first generation American studying international affairs, De Leon’s says it is her job to provide guidance to her relatives about whether or not to go home – or go on.

Trump has been fixated on the caravan in the last week, suggesting that the migrants are dangerous and pose a threat to national security. Tweeting and retweeting about the migrants more than 10 times, Trump has brought a lot of attention to the matter.

“The Caravan is largely broken up thanks to the strong immigration laws of Mexico and their willingness to use them so as not to cause a giant scene at our Border. Because of the Trump Administration’s actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!” Trump tweeted Thursday.

De Leon says  those traveling North are hopeful in the midst of discouraging tweets from president Trump as this is an annual occurrence for some Central Americans.

“Like most of what Trump says, I think it’s just ignorant to suggest that people like my tia’s sole purpose for traveling is to bring drugs to the U.S. Come on. That’s ignorant,” de Leon said.

De Leon says Trump should be banned from Twitter because tweets like that show the power of social media and how Trump is the prime example of spewing fake news.

“If he got off of Twitter and actually read, he’d know these people travel every year to get away from situations he couldn’t even imagine,” de Leon said.

De Leon says her parents hometown of Planeta is increasing with gang violence daily. Her family fears for the young.

“I just pray for their safety,” de Leon said.

The caravan has since stopped in Mexico City. According to Caravan organizer Irineo Mujica said what remains of the group will continue to seek meetings with representatives of the United Nations and Organization of American States.

As for de Leon, she will continue doing what she can to be supportive of this movement and keep up her studies at Georgia Gwinnett College.

“I’m no expert yet and I don’t have it all figured out but I do know that the best thing I can do is to keep studying and graduate next year. I’m studying so that I can be in a better position to help migrants from Central America and dispel things like that ” she said.

 

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