Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
Images of thousands of mostly Haitian refugees, huddled under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, have flooded the media in recent days. The steady stream of immigrants are looking to make a better life in America, but they are avoiding the normal legal requirements for lawful entry into the United States.
Jacob Jean Jundy is the pastor of Walk by Faith International Missionary Church in El Paso, Texas, which operates an ad hoc shelter for Haitian migrants. Jundy has seen a heavy influx of Haitians who have sought assistance from his congregation, though they are many miles from Del Rio. After hearing numerous heartbreaking stories from Haitians who have been horrifically abused along their journey to the United States, Jundy is advising Haitians to avoid making the journey. Jundy's congregation has assisted hundreds of Haitians during the recent surge along the Texas border.
According to Jundy, Panama is a particularly dangerous area for the refugees to pass through because of the risk of encountering human traffickers or smugglers. Stories have surfaced of women being beaten and raped right before their family's eyes. "Stop it because … it's a deadly journey," Jundy told the Christian Post in a recent interview. "They're taking too many chances trying to come to the United States and going through … this difficult route." Jundy also noted that many migrants have drowned in the process of trying to reach America.
Haitians have faced many challenges and threats to their safety as they made the long journey to the American border. Recently, the Biden administration has banned the use of horses by border officers trying to stem the tide of illegal immigrants who are crossing the border. This move was brought on by what appeared to be U.S. agents using whips on refugees to keep them on the Mexican side of the border. Further research indicated that the agents were actually twirling their horses' reins to steer them rather than using whips on the Haitians.
Since the heavy influx of migrants began, most of them have been interspersed throughout the U.S. population, while a small percentage have been returned to Haiti.