Sonia Reports on Refugee Crisis in Mexico for NY Times
I traveled to Mexico in September to report on how it was treating migrants fleeing violence from Central America. In the past 15 months, at the request of President Obama, Mexico has carried out a ferocious crackdown on Central Americans traveling through its southern states. The United States has funded Mexico's efforts in stopping these migrants from reaching the American border to claim asylum. Congressional leaders have proposed $90 million to do more of the same in 2016. On October 10, my article in the New York Times Sunday Review section told the heart-breaking stories of Central Americans being killed and tortured. It's time to tell the U.S. government this needs to change.READ THE ARTICLE
My Call to Action is Now on MoveOn.Org
MoveOn.org created an
online petitionbased on my call to action. Please share it with your friends and family. It asks that Congress and President Obama:
stop paying Mexico tens of millions of dollars to intercept and deport these refugees before they reach our border.
help Mexico pay for places for migrants to be held that are humane while their refugee claims are evaluated.
develop a system for these refugees, much like Europe is now doing for Syrians, to equitably allocate people who are fleeing harm throughout this continent.
increase the number of refugees we allow to pre-9/11 levels - 130,000, from the current 70,000 - to allow more of these families to have a safe harbor here in the U.S.
approve a proposed tripling aid, now before Congress, to the northern triangle Central American countries (El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala) to help reduce the causes of the violence pushing these families out.
Please join us in pushing the U.S. government to do the right thing.
Listen to Sonia talk about the issues
I have done a variety of interviews with national media since my article was published in the New York Times. Watch me on Democracy Now and listen to me on NPR's On Point.
Share these interviews with your friends.
Connect with Sonia and Spread the Word
The best way to stay in touch with me is through social media. Be sure to share my posts with your friends, as that amplifies its impact. Together, we can make a difference.
