Key Highlights
- The story of an Venezuelan asylum-seeker named Irma and her struggles with the U.S. immigration system.
- The impact of policies like Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) on immigrants in Mexico.
- The back-and-forth of Irma’s legal battles, from hope to despair under both Trump and Biden administrations.
- Analysis of how political shifts affect the lives of asylum-seekers.
A Friend’s Struggle: The Venezuelan Asylum-Seeker Who Taught Me About America’s Justice System
Since 2021, Tamara Shamir has been in touch with Irma, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker who has experienced the complexities of immigration laws firsthand. Her story serves as both a warning and a testament to the shifting sands of American policy.
A Fleeing Venezuela
In 2013, when Nicolás Maduro first assumed power in Venezuela, Irma was working as a campesina—a small-scale rural farmer. “Maduro seemed like he would serve the ‘humble,'” she explained. But within months, her reality changed dramatically. “I started seeing people picked off the streets by men with machine guns,” she recounted.
Javier Corrales, a political science professor at Amherst College, elaborated on this: “The colectivos—government-affiliated paramilitaries—were part of Maduro’s ‘very sophisticated repressive machine,’ which targeted people who benefited from government programs.” This repression led Irma to flee Venezuela in 2015, becoming one of the nearly 8 million Venezuelans who left during Maduro’s reign.
Ashes and Asylum
Irma arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border during the first Trump administration. She was detained under MPP—Migrant Protection Protocols—which kept immigrants in limbo in Mexico’s dangerous border areas while their cases made their way through U.S. courts. Her son, who died en route to join her in Mexico, left a widow and two young daughters behind.
“Tell me,” Irma asked Shamir in Spanish, “how can I bring his ashes to me?” Despite orders not to accept clients, Shamir couldn’t turn away Irma’s plea. Over the next five years, they remained in contact as Irma navigated her asylum case amidst the pandemic and court delays.
The Promise of Biden
When Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Irma was triumphant. “I knew he was going to win against that arrogant child,” she said with conviction. Upon entering the country, she reunited with her daughter and grandson in Houston, obtained Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and got a job at a 7-Eleven.
However, when Donald Trump returned to office four years later, Irma’s status was revoked. She moved to Austin, where she faced ongoing threats from ICE, including the fear of indefinite detention and inhumane treatment. “I don’t know when they’ll take me away,” she told Shamir recently.
The Fallout of Political Shifts
Irma’s story is a microcosm of broader political shifts impacting immigration policies. The MPP policy, which kept tens of thousands of immigrants in Mexico, created a dangerous limbo for those seeking refuge. Trump’s executive orders and the rollback of humanitarian programs under his administration stripped Irma of her legal status.
Corrales noted that targeting vulnerable groups is characteristic of democracy backsliding: “An autocracy needs to create an in-group versus an out-group, starting with the most vulnerable.” In the U.S., this has translated into aggressive enforcement against noncitizens under Trump’s presidency.
Conclusion
The story of Irma and her ongoing struggle highlights the complexities and inconsistencies of America’s immigration system. As policies shift from one administration to another, the lives of asylum-seekers like Irma are often left in a state of uncertainty. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the human cost of political changes.
