How Some Immigrant Families Are Avoiding Separation
MCALLEN, Tex.—Angel Bonilla spent eight days in an immigrant-detention facility with his five-month-old daughter, Selene Alanis, after trekking for nearly a month through Mexico from his home in Honduras. Like so many others, he was caught by the Border Patrol crossing the Rio Grande in a raft. Right now, they’re in McAllen. Soon, they’ll be on their way to Dallas, where Bonilla will stay with friends while awaiting a court hearing that could result in his deportation back to Honduras.
In McAllen these days, Bonilla counts as a lucky one. He was not separated from his infant daughter, nor did the federal government charge him with the crime of illegal entry into the United States. When he shows up at court next month, he may receive asylum and be allowed to stay.
Bonilla, 43, was one of several dozen immigrants who arrived at the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center on Wednesday afternoon. The deposits these immigrants at the nearby bus station, where Catholic Charities volunteers escort them in vans to the respite center.
