NPR Story Profiles those Seeking Refuge at U.S.-Mexican Border

NPR gave us an outstanding piece yesterday. Steve Inskeep lends voice to Saraa Zewedi Yilma, a woman seeking asylum in the United States after having fled persecution in Ethiopia.  The story raises several important issues that Saraa, and thousands of other asylum seekers like her, face while seeking protection in the United States.

Saraa’s case is not unusual. As part of Human Rights First’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of asylum seekers, we’ve seen countless individuals who have been placed in immigration detention and wait for months, often years, to appear before an immigration judge. This is why we advocate for the use of alternatives to detention and increases in immigration court staffing, and, through our pro bono program, work to ensure that these individuals are given the representation they deserve.

The personal stories of refugees are powerful and important reminders that our asylum system does not deal with numbers and statistics but protects genuine refugees and gives hope to individuals, like Saraa, seeking refuge in the United States.

To hear more stories, watch videos from Human Rights First’s Refugee Voices project and read our fact sheet on asylum and the border.