Cathy Schaller speaking recently to members of the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos about asylum seekers crossing the southern border. Photo by Brooke Davis/Kiwanis

By CHARMIAN O. SCHALLER
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

As the number of asylum seekers along the southern border of the United States continues to grow, many people already living in the U.S. have two questions in their minds.

First, why are these asylum seekers so eager to get into the United States instead of staying in their own countries and fighting for improvement? And second, why should U.S. citizens respond positively to requests to support these asylum seekers with donations?

Cathy Schaller, who spoke recently at Kiwanis, has, for months, been collecting warm clothing for the would-be immigrants and encouraging others to donate money and needed goods. She answered the two questions posed above by telling about the experiences of some recent asylum seekers she has met.

She told of one family from Ecuador that had a 19-year-old daughter and two younger sons. Because of the father’s views, his opponents shot him, and they threatened his family members.

“Anyone who helped one (of his family members) would be targeted by the gang,” she said.

And because no one was hurt in the first attack, the police could do nothing. The family had no one to contact in the U.S. And they didn’t feel that they could be safe in a country such as Mexico, where drug gangs are operating. They thought about various possibilities and decided to try to get into the U.S.—legally or illegally.

She also told the story of a man in Mexico who desperately needed $7,000 in dental work. Schaller solved his problem by finding a dentist in Los Alamos who was willing to do the work for nothing. She commented that she has found that Los Alamos is very generous in helping such people.

She said she believes that many of the asylum seekers are fleeing very real danger and trying to get into a country where they will be safe. However, they often find that U.S. immigration laws cause long delays and make it difficult for them to become citizens. It can take years. And while they are fighting to gain entry, they must struggle to find housing, food, and clothing for themselves and their families. Winter in Los Alamos, for example, can come as a real shock to families used to dressing for warmer climates.

The bottom line? These people are fleeing political discrimination and genuine violence. And, once they get to the United States, they need help to meet survival needs.

Schaller said she believes that many of the asylum seekers are “strong” and would make good U.S. citizens, but the road to citizenship is long and very hard….