The young people traveled to San Ysidro to visit their relatives…
By: Martín Plascencia, Telemundo 52 – July 30, 2019
A small mistake could have permanently changed the lives of a group of young immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, whom accidentally crossed the San Diego-Tijuana border on Sunday, July 21st, 2019.
Four DACA recipients from Santa Ana, CA intended to greet their grandmother through the border fence in the San Diego-Tijuana Friendship Park, but they accidentally missed the last U.S. exit and crossed to Mexico.
“I was surprised by a text that said “welcome to Mexico”, said Gerardo Hernández, who accidentally drove to Mexico.
“I was the one driving and it was my first time driving in that area of California, and without knowing it, I missed the last U.S. exit,” added Hernández.
None of the Dreamers had "Advance Parole", a special travel permit previously given to DACA recipients to be readmitted to the United States.
The young immigrants told Telemundo 52 that they felt lost and humiliated by border agents from the Mexican side.
"My sister and my cousin began to say that they could not leave the country, so [the border agent] said 'well, that doesn't matter to me, it's not my problem," said Fernando Nava.
According to Nava, the agent also added that the mistake was going to cost them dearly and he started laughing at them.
The four DACA recipients were able to return to the United States thanks to the support and efforts made by Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos and the California Mexico Studies Center (CMSC).
According to these Dreamers, without the support of the center, lawyers, activists and local legislators, their life would have changed tremendously.
"If it had not been for this incident, I would have never known that the Advance Parole provision even existed," Nava said.
“Advance Parole was a permit that allowed DACA recipients to travel abroad for educational, humanitarian or employment reasons,” said Lidieth Arevalo, representative of the California-Mexico Studies Center. “But it was suspended on September 5, 2017 when the Trump Administration initially rescinded the DACA program,” added Arevalo.
The California Mexico Studies Center is conducting a national campaign for President Trump's administration to restore the "Advance Parole" program. To learn more about the campaign efforts visit: www.advanceparole.org
Source: Telemundo 52 (Originally published in Spanish)
Watch the Telemundo 52 News Report below:
Also watch a CMSC-produced video about this story and the need for Advance Parole:
