The next day, in Boston Masssachusetts, members of the Student Immigrant Movement and their allies set up a 24-hour vigil in front of the Massachusetts State house, demanding respect for the rights of immigrants in the Commonwealth and an end to a series of anti-immigrant amendments recently passed in the state legislature.
Although these two struggles are thousands of miles apart, they are inextricably linked. Ever since 1999, COFAMIUPRO has fought for human rights protections of their family members who have left home in search of the so-called “American Dream.” Migrants endure a dangerous and difficult journey to get to the US and those who do make it are met with low-paying jobs, poor and cramped living conditions, limited access to medical care, and racism. The family members left behind suffer from the strain of familial separation, stress of uncertain income (since many depend on remittance money for their survival), and the fear of the dangers their loved ones will encounter away from home.
The members of COFAMIPRO know full well that anti-immigrant laws and punitive treatment of immigrants has negative effects, not just on immigrants and the communities where they live in the US, but also on the family members back home in sending communities. One member told me that the discrimination her son experienced when he got to the US led to his developing mental health issues and eventual alcohol addiction. Now, this mother struggles to get by every day because her son no longer sends money, and she worries every day about his well being. Another member told me that her son was in detention for months after crossing the border, and that he was mistreated and raped by other detainees. Eventually he was released, but he developed serious mental health issues so once he started making a little bit of money, he spent it all on alcohol to self-medicate. This mother also suffers daily from anxiety over her sons condition.
Of course, most COFAMIPRO members would prefer that their children never traveled to the US in the first place - they would rather avoid the stress and sadness of family separation. However, these parents also understand that economic opportunities in their country are extremely limited, and they know they cannot stop their children from leaving if that is their decision. What they do demand, however, is that their children are consistently treated with dignity and respect, wherever they are found. In recent years, COFAMIPRO has taken this message directly to authorities in the US, holding protests in front of the US Embassy in Honduras to demand immigration reform and fair treatment of immigrants.
In this same spirit, COFAMIPRO would like to send a message to the legislators of Massachusetts, urging them to respect the human rights of our sons, daughters, and grandchildren by opposing the anti-immigrant amendments in the Commonwealth. We also send a message of solidarity to the immigrant rights advocates who are fighting the good fight in Massachusetts. We are with you in spirit, and appreciate the work that you do to protect the dignity of our children in the US and the well-being of our families.
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