RE: “US, Central America, Mexico, and Canada Activists Begin 74 Mile Walk to Promote Immigration Reform.”

Dear Editor,

Please allow me to submit the following letter in response to the May 27 article and ongoing story, “US, Central America, Mexico, and Canada Activists Begin 74 Mile Walk to Promote Immigration Reform.”

The story of a diverse group of people embarking on a treacherous seventy-four mile walk through the Sonoran Desert beginning in Mexico and ending in Arizona is an extraordinary story. This is especially true because of the vignette from a migrant who has made this journey once before, which unfortunately had landed her in a hospital with the assistance of the Border Patrol. The Migrant Trail initiative, which organized the walk, was originally founded to help bring about reform of the immigration laws. However, missing from the conversation are the implications of the current immigration reform bill that is currently stalled in the House of Representatives, as well as a more critical look at the Border Patrol. Although the woman interviewed for the piece was fortunate enough to be brought to a hospital by a Border Patrol unit, such assistance is hardly the case for immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Immigration reform policy in the borderland region between these two nations has long been a hot-button issue, especially because of the swell in human rights violations committed against immigrants. A brief discussion of how the proposed immigrant reform bill aligns with the goals of the Migrant Trail initiative would better allow for an understanding of how these laws can better treat future immigrants.

Sincerely,

Jessica Olin, Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs

In response to Latin Post article “US, Central America, Mexico, and Canada Activists Begin 74 Mile Walk to Promote Immigration Reform.”

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