The United States is a nation of immigrants. From crossing a land bridge over the Bering Sea to traveling by steamship across the Atlantic Ocean, everyone in this country originally came from somewhere else. And everyone who has come has their own unique and interesting story.
Immigration has played and continues to play an integral role in shaping American society and culture. An examination of the history of immigration is a telling reminder that history does not follow a set course; rather, it is the result of decisions made by real people in response to the world around them.
For example, in my village there were forty or fifty families and now there are at least four hundred. The land has not changed but it must feed more mouths. That’s why most of us left our country. My uncle had fields but when his children grew up, they had to divide it and each one got a small share of the land. They had to earn their living from the soil.
It was sometimes said that America’s streets were paved with gold. This myth held a grain of truth for the millions of immigrants who left a life of utter poverty, miseries and suffering behind. They came to America because it offered, if not instant wealth, then at least the chance to improve their live. Some immigrants did get rich here, through hard work and determination. Many more managed to carve out a decent life for themselves and their families.
Unfortunately, after a journey that may be long and treacherous, on arrival at the U.S. border in search of asylum often believe they have reached a destination of safety and protection until they walk to the border to ask for asylum and are put into a small cell and sent to detention centers. Detention is a daunting experience for anyone but particularly egregious for survivors of torture. For survivors, given the long-term impacts of torture and trauma, the fact of being detained at all is often retraumatizing. Further, elements inherent in the detention experience including a profound sense of powerlessness and loss of control may recapitulate the torture experience. Beyond this, the indefinite nature of immigration detention is a blanket over it all, contributing to severe, chronic emotional distress. Number one example being our own
president pastor Tendo Steven who ran to the USA because he was severely tortured, lost family members and workers of his ministry due to their political opinion.
Though there is always light at the end of a dark tunnel. As ELOI Ministries Inc, we are US 501(c) (3) non-profit organization with a team of passionate people committed to defending and advocating for justice and human rights for immigrants in US detention.
Reach out to us to help loved ones experiencing such conditions:
info-usa@eloiministries.org | www.eloiministries.us.org | www.eloiministries.org
+18023991087
+18023991088
