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| QUIQUE & FRIENDS
After Quique's arrival at the safe
house in Texas, his uncle Julio got a call. The coyote
wanted another $1000 and was going to hold Quique
hostage until he received it. Many illegal immigrants
report that this is a common experience. Coyotes often
try any means possible to extort more money out of
their clients.
Sonya Nazario:
You see migrants that are held for a week and finally
escape or the neighbours call the police and they
say there are people screaming from this house.
But once again, Quique was lucky. He waited for just
the right moment to grab the coyote's cell phone and
called his uncle. Then he got out of there fast.
Quique:
When Julio picked me up I could see the coyotes looking
for me.
Finally Quique had a reason to
smile. He'd travelled over 5000 kilometres in the
last 52 days. He'd been robbed, talked his way out
of jail and almost died in the desert. He'd lost 10
pounds and gained an earring. But he'd made it.
It was time for a reunion and a celebration. His uncle
Julio was with him on his first attempt to reach the
U.S. seven years ago. Julio had already found Quique
a construction job and now he was about to join the
9 million economic refugees who have come to the U.S.
to work and live under the radar and outside the law.
Bob McKeown:
You're here illegally. In a sense, you'll be on the
run as long as you're here.
Quique:
No, I don't think so. I don't think that it's necessary
to be here legally. Many people have lived here for
many years and have never had a problem.
Sonya Nazario:
The United States has a really schizophrenic view
of its immigrants. On one hand the vast majority of
people in the United States want to lower the number
of immigrants coming into the country. But there is
a huge contingent of businesses who like getting cheap
labour. And if anything would like to throw open the
borders more.
At home in Honduras Quique's family
has a reason to celebrate too. Not only is Quique
safe, but he'll be sending them $100 a month - a small
fortune. And he plans to return in three years with
enough money to buy a house and open up a store.
CHACON
Chacon continued his journey to the U.S. He was travelling
with a group of other migrants when he witnessed the
Mara Salvatrucha brutally rape and then throw a young
girl overboard. (see the journey)
He was shot at by the Mexican army as he tried to
get on a train. Finally he was arrested in Mexico.
Chacon: There
were three policemen and they were pointing their
guns at us. After they blew the whistle they sicced
their dogs on me. The officer came and kicked me.
They took pictures, fingerprints and one police man
even wanted me to wash his car. I was in jail for
five days.
He was deported back to Honduras but is planning another
attempt to reach the U.S.
Chacon:
We live in crisis. I’d like to live well, not
as comfortably as others do, but to live a normal
life . To be able to cook on an electrical stove,
to watch TV. That’s why I have a goal to reach
el norte. I have worked to achieve it. I always think,
I pray, that God will help me to get there.
DANIEL
Daniel remained at the border and continued to search
for money to pay a coyote. Eventually he was successful
and he made the crossing into the U.S. He has a job
painting houses.
EBER
Eber made it into the U.S. with Quique. His relatives
collected him from the safe house and he's now working
in Virginia.
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