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Asylum Seekers Dropped Off by Border Patrol Strain Resources of Arizona Border Towns
On 5/13/21 at 11:37 AM EDT
Out in the Sonoran desert, about 25 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, the Arizona city of Yuma and its neighboring suburb Somerton continue to host a steady stream of asylum seekers.
Some days the city has seen more than 100 asylum seekers. On other days far less, but as of late, the daily count has stood at a steady 25.
These individuals find themselves in the area at the behest of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Entering the country to flee persecution in their homelands, the people entering Yuma County start their journey by submitting themselves to CBP custody as they undergo screenings prior to receiving admittance.
SOMERTON â After two years of waiting in Mexico and four days of detention in the U.S., Indira Diaz Cortina, 22, an asylum seeker from Cuba, found herself in a parking lot last month, waiting for COVID-19 test results.
She and 37 others were dropped off by Customs and Border Protection agents at a makeshift testing clinic. She had no change of clothes, no shoelaces, no money and no way to contact family members or friends with whom she hopes to reunite.
But Diaz Cortina wasnât complaining. U.S. authorities finally allowed her entry into the United States with the right to seek asylum. The COVID-19 test was required before she met with church and nonprofit organization volunteers, who would help her connect with loved ones and find a place to stay pending her asylum hearing.