Esperanza para un Nuevo Camino (Hope for a New Path)

Arleth Martinez shares her thoughts on our Immigration Day of Learning organized by Katherine Smith of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).  For privacy reasons, the names of the people she met have been changed:

This was a very emotional and heartfelt day for everyone involved.  We learned about borders and immigration policies from Katherine before we visited Casa Alitas (House of Little Wings).  Our time there was powerful, which my friend Gracie Stevens discusses.  So head over to her blog to hear more!

In this blog, I will focus on a touching moment I had at Casa Alitas, which ties in with Rosa’s story and her experiential work at Casa Mariposa (Butterfly House). For contextual purposes, these individuals were detained by border patrol due to their undocumented status.  In order to be released, they need to pay a fee (bond).  The amount of this varies and it is not because of the individual but rather the profit that will be gained from it.  These individuals are wanting to find a new path but are instead detained and have to go through that process.

As I scrubbed walls with my group, a man named Jorge came over and asked if anyone knew both English and Spanish.  I spoke out and he asked if I could assist him with some paperwork to get his mom out of detention with a $3,250 bond.  We went through all the papers and called the lawyers.  As we did this, I noticed how eager but confused Jorge was.  He was eager to get everything done so his mom could reunite with him and his family.  However, he was confused at many things I read and explained.  He asked many questions and clarified his understanding of what was happening.  This made a lot of sense to me as they had just gone through a lot of untrustworthy experiences.  His mom was not dangerous, but she was still treated as a criminal and would not be released until they could pay her bond.

This is where Rosa’s story ties in.  Her story is very powerful and hard to hear.  She was a victim of human labor trafficking who sought help but instead got arrested due to her undocumented status.  She was confused and was detained in handcuffs with shackles on her feet.  After a long  time in detention centers and court hearings, she had a $20,000 bond posted — her family needed to pay this for her to be released.  Personally, I believe this was ridiculous as she didn’t do anything wrong, but was a victim of horrible treatment and manipulation.

During Rosa’s time in detention, a pastor from Shalom Mennonite Church came and visited her through Casa Mariposas (Butterfly House).  The organization focuses on connecting with those who are detained and helping them feel seen.  They worked together and were able to post her bail.  Now Rosa is working with Casa Mariposa and giving back to people in the same position that she was in.  She works to help those individuals feel supported and can be support systems for them.  They provide money and other resources and help many families.

Just like Casa Mariposa gives people hope, my small contribution to Jorge gave him that too.  It is important to realize that these individuals are looking for a new beginning, and it all begins with hope.