Texans share experiences helping fellow Haitians coming from the border

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AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Friday, authorities at the border near Del Rio rounded up the last of the migrants in this camp.

The Department of Homeland Security says the people, many of them women and children, have been displaced in various ways. Almost 2,000 have been sent on flights and another 4,000 are being processed for a return to Haiti.

Officials: All migrants have disappeared from the Texas border camp

Thousands of others are working their way through immigration tribunals as asylum seekers in the United States.

Nahika Hillery, Austin Food Truck owner, Kreyòl Korner Caribbean Cuisine, traveled to Houston to welcome fellow Haitians to America.

Nahika Hillery serves customers at Kreyòl Korner Caribbean Cuisine.

“It’s devastating to see that,” said Hillery of her volunteer work in Houston. “All I can say is that I didn’t see anyone cry. Everyone just looked tired. “

As the daughter of two Haitian immigrants, she will volunteer to cook and help the countries in Texas for the next few weeks.

For some Haitians, like Rudy Metayer, a member of the Pflugerville City Council, pictures of people at the border and how they are treated are not surprising when they see Haitians getting off the bus.

For him, history repeats itself.

“It’s a frustrating topic because I remember hearing the same conversation from my parents as a kid and now we fast forward 40 years later and it still happens,” Metayer said.

He calls for equal treatment and resources for all migrants.

“Nobody says to let everyone in, what people say, and that is the key point of treating any population trying to immigrate into this country equally,” Metayer said.

UT Professor Denise Gilman has worked in immigration law for more than 20 years. She says she has spent time with both Afghan and Haitian migrants, and after arriving in the United States, their experiences are different for a reason:

“Most of the Haitians we’re talking about now are still in the process of applying for asylum in the United States, so they don’t have access to these benefits. In contrast, many Afghans who are already recognized as refugees are entering the country, ”said Gilman. “Haitians are often turned away immediately, not even given access to any procedure in the United States, or if they are allowed to enter the United States, they are sent to a detention center, where it is extremely difficult for them to seek asylum.”

Right now, she and members of the University of Texas School of Law’s Immigration Clinic are helping Haitian women at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor. She says they have a long journey ahead of them.

“Many are recognized as valid asylum seekers, then come out of custody, live with their families and pursue their claims before the immigration court. Your asylum applications can take a long time because the courts are very overburdened. It can easily take years, ”explained Gilman.

Join KXAN News at 10 p.m., hear from local Haitians and why legal experts say some asylum seekers do not receive the same treatment as other migrants.

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