Image Caption: Alcides Padilla, from Honduras, wakes up at the Jesus Martinez stadium in Mexico City, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (Abd, Rodrigo / Associated Press Photo)
I chose the featured image because it personifies the current conditions of Central American migrants in Mexico. They do not have a place to stay and they are forced to wait on the ground. This image is only one example of the hardships endured by those waiting to cross the US-Mexico border.
Human Rights and Central American Migrants in Mexico: A Judicial Perspective emphasizes that there is a lack of trust placed upon Mexican authorities by Central American migrants rooted in the fear of being deported. Individuals migrating from Central America through Mexico find themselves in a foreign place in which they are alienated and marginalized; consequently, Central American migrants become vulnerable and more susceptible to the violation of their rights. The article further states that Mexican authorities have disregarded a substantial amount of complaints made by the National Commission of Human Rights (Barbosa and Aguirre 263). The disregard placed on such complaints demonstrates the lack of value placed on the rights of Central American immigrants.
Barbosa and Aguirre’s article was published by the Canadian Center of Science and Education and has since then been peer reviewed. One of the strengths of this article is that it is accessible to many as it avoids technical jargon and is easy to read. It is important to make articles such as this one accessible in order to raise awareness about human rights violations. Moreover, Barbosa and Aguirre go a step further and provide recommendations that can lead to a solution rather than solely stating that there is a problem.
This article will enhance and facilitate the research process for the final human rights dossier about immigrant rights in Mexico. The author clearly illustrates the plight of Central Americans in Mexico and the human rights violations they are subjected to with the absence of intervention and defense from Mexican authorities. The information in this article complemented the learning done in class by providing concrete examples of contemporary human rights violations.