Community welcomes immigrant children to San Diego

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<figure id="attachment_27762" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27762" style="width: 240px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/featured/community-welcomes-immigrant-chil…; rel="attachment wp-att-27762"><img loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-27762" src="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/immigrant-vigil…; alt="Seven-year-old Fatima and her mother, Ana, arrived in San Diego from El Salvador. They’re one of the families of immigrants who have come to the United States from Central America fleeing violence. " width="240" height="393" srcset="https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/immigra… 183w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/immigra… 625w, https://dev-laprensa.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/immigra… 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-27762" class="wp-caption-text">Seven-year-old Fatima and her mother, Ana, arrived in San Diego from El Salvador. They’re one of the families of immigrants who have come to the United States from Central America fleeing violence.</figcaption></figure>
<p>With the sounds of Indigenous drums and chants little Fatima and her mother Ana were welcomed to the United States by a large group of community members in San Diego.</p>
<p>Seven-year-old Fatima and Ana are part of the thousands of Central American immigrants who have crossed the border fleeing the violence in their countries of origin.</p>
<p>Fatima and her mother, who are from El Salvador, were smiling during the vigil of love and welcome event that took place on the evening of Wednesday, July 9th, in front of the Federal Building in Downtown San Diego.</p>
<p>Fatima and Ana, whose last names were withheld for security reasons, are some of the first families released from immigration custody to travel to reunite with family members while awaiting immigration court.</p>
<p>“I’m taking them to the airport right now because they’re taking a flight somewhere to the East Coast,” said Enrique Morones, director of Border Angels, the immigrant rights organization that has taken a leading role in defending the Central American children and families who have arrived in San Diego.</p>
<p>Demonstrators cheered as Morones drove his vehicle with Fatima and Ana inside.</p>
<p>“We welcome you! We will help you!” some of the community members screamed in Spanish to the family.</p>
<p>The vigil’s goal was to show solidarity with the thousands of children and families who have arrived in the United States from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. It was to serve as a contrast to the recent anti-immigrant protest that took place in Murrieta, where anti-immigrant demonstrators blocked buses transporting children and families to a Border Patrol facility there.</p>
<p>“We’re not Murrieta,” said Maribel Solace, a member of Dreamers’ Moms. “This is a humanitarian crisis, and here in San Diego we welcome kids. We will help them with all of our resources.”</p>
<p>Solache started crying while waving good bye to Fatima and Ana.</p>
<p>“They are safe here,” she said, wiping out her tears. “They made it. They survived and crossed all of Mexico to get here.”</p>
<p>The signs of support were present all over the vigil, which also featured a group of jaraneros, which performed songs narrating the struggle of Central American immigrants.</p>
<p>“Bienvenido, hermano.” “Welcome to San Diego. We love children.” “Let the children stay.” “Love, dignity, and respect for children.”</p>
<p>At the beginning of the vigil, activist Bertha Gutierrez asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of all the Central American immigrants who have died trying to make it to the United States.</p>
<p>“Many of our brothers and sisters never made it here,” she said.</p>
<p>Estela Jimenez, who was part of a recent trip to the Mexico-Guatemala border to learn more about the immigrants’ struggle, said that in 2014 around 700 children have been killed in Honduras. She added that in Guatemala, only about 3 percent of the federal budget is spent in services for children.</p>
<p>“We, the Mesoamerican people, need to stand together in solidarity with our brothers and sisters,” she said. “These children are not looking for riches when they come to the United States. They only want a safe place where they can live, away from the violence.”</p>
<p>Jimenez told the story of a 2-year-old who lost his right leg while trying to ride the train near the Mexico-Guatemala border known as La Bestia.</p>
<p>“We ask the government of Barack Obama to let them stay. Sending them back means sending them back to certain death,” she said.</p>