On Nov. 1st, photographer Kisha Bari and I traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico along with the organization Families Belong Together to join the caravan of Central American refugees traveling to the U.S. border in hopes of being granted asylum. I wanted to see the caravan for myself because it was evident it was being used as a political football by the Trump administration, and I felt the real stories of the people traveling were not being told.

Trump's attempts to overhaul the asylum application process have made it more difficult for refugees to even request the asylum they are so desperately in need of, and led to a bottleneck at ports of entry like Tijuana, where the conditions are difficult. Most refugees don’t have even a tent to sleep in. Food and water are scarce. The children are getting sick. Their asylum proceedings could take months. And they are desperate for safety and security.



Trump's response? Tear gas children.

As a storyteller and an activist, I try to shine a light on the truth. I met hundreds of people in Mexico as they endured what seemed an impossible journey. These are their truths. They must be our beacons of light during tear gas storms, border wall fights, and border patrol round ups.

Kisha Bari

Jocelyn is 17 years old, traveling with her 16-year-old friend. She decided to leave Honduras and join the caravan because gangs threatened to kill her. Though she says she has the best parents in the world, she was too scared to stay, and she spoke to them once along her journey; she didn't even tell them she was leaving and instead snuck out in the night. When asked about the most difficult part of the caravan, she said, “There are so many people that need help. There are so many kids that are tired and hungry. The hardest part for me has been seeing so much suffering and not being able to help anyone.”

Kisha Bari

Jocelyn made it all the way to Mexico City, about 1,100 miles from her hometown. She arrived emotionally and physically exhausted, and the day before the caravan headed toward Tijuana, Jocelyn decided she wanted to go home. The journey ahead was too daunting. She missed her parents. She was deported back to Honduras that same night.

Kisha Bari

Omar is traveling all by himself. Just 12 years old, he says he's coming to the United States to be a "professional," leaving his mom and brothers behind to follow his dream. When asked if he was scared to travel alone, he said no, that it's been fun. He showed off his money pouch, which had a few coins and some crumpled bills inside. He was proud of himself for making it all the way to Puebla and asked if Mexico City was close to the border. When I pulled out my phone and showed him a map, he looked at it, his eyes beaming with curiosity. “Can you show me the world?” He had never seen a map before. He had no idea what the rest of the world looked like. He was most amazed by the oceans.

Kisha Bari

Omar asked if he could use my phone to call his mother since he had only spoken to her once along his journey. As Omar spoke to her, I noticed a few officials standing next to him. When I inquired who they were, they told me they were child services and because Omar was traveling alone, Mexican law obligated them to send him back home. They had spoken to his mother, and she said she wanted him home. I asked if Omar already knew this news, and they shook their heads no. I watched as Omar laughed and joked with his mother on the phone, knowing his heart would be crushed by this news.

Kisha Bari

Jobel, 36, is a single father of five traveling in the caravan with all of his kids (one as young as six years old old), his mother, and his younger sister. He left Honduras because his 17-year-old son, Brian, was being violently pressured to join the gangs in his neighborhood. Jobel believed his only option was for him and his family to leave his home and seek sanctuary inside of a church. While they were living in the church, they heard about the caravan and decided to join.

The family was able to stay united through the entire caravan, and they all agreed that the most difficult part of their journey was the never-ending walking.

Kisha Bari

The last time we saw the family was in Mexico City. We searched for them in Tijuana, but we never were able to find them.

Kisha Bari

This is Miley and her seven-month-old son. Now that she arrived to the border, she doesn’t know what to do. She’s heard the rumors that the U.S. government will take away her child if she crosses. She knows that going back home is not an option, but going to the States seems just as scary. When I asked her what this journey had taught her about herself, her eyes welled with tears. “Before this journey, I didn’t know how strong I was. Now I know I can endure the unimaginable.”

Kisha Bari

The day I met Brenda, her seven-month-old baby was very sick with a cough and fever. The night before, all of their belongings had gotten soaking wet as they were forced to ride out a storm under a flimsy tent.

As the caravan made its way to Mexico City, Brenda was one of the unlucky ones. They couldn’t afford any sort of transportation to help them travel the 290 miles to Mexico City, so they were forced to walk. They walked for two days and made it over 60 miles. Finally, a woman took pity on the family and paid for them to take a bus about half way.

Kisha Bari

Brenda was getting sick herself, and her husband was desperate to keep his family safe and healthy, so he used their small savings and put her on a bus for the remaining 100 miles. He couldn’t afford to pay for two bus tickets, so she was forced to travel alone.

Brenda arrived to Mexico City alone, sick, and heartbroken about leaving her husband behind. She told me she was certain she would be reunited with her husband because he would never leave her to travel this journey alone.

Brenda got sick once they left Mexico City. She had a fever and could barely walk. She struggled through the journey until she arrived in Guanajuato. There, she made the very difficult decision to stay in Mexico. Her dream was to get to the United States, but her health and the health of her baby kept that dream at bay.



Kisha Bari

Miley is 23 years old and from El Salvador. As a trans woman, living in El Salvador was extremely difficult. She was harassed by gangs and the police. The cops beat her, cut off her hair, and left her for dead. She decided to join the caravan because she feels she will be safer in the United States. Her dream is to get to New York City. She found a family that is nice to her and treats her kindly. She has been traveling with them for a week. She’s grateful to not be alone on this journey.

Kisha Bari

A week later we ran into Miley at the shelter in Tijuana. She was with three other trans women, and she was thrilled to be in the city. She didn’t know what her next steps were, but she was hopeful for the future.