Day 60: A Haitian Story

I took an 18-year-old Haitian man to ICE to get an ankle bracelet charger today. On the way, he told me his story. 

When he was 14-years-old, his mother was killed by people who claimed she was engaged in black magic. He said the people in their village called her a "bruja," or witch. 

After the assassination, he moved to Santiago, Chile with his sister. He lived with his aunt and uncle, went to school, learned Spanish, and studied natural sciences. When the riots started in 2019, however, he and his sister decided to travel to the US. They traveled through ten countries in Central and South America. 

He told me that there were times he thought he wouldn't make it. He slept on the jungle ground, scrounged for water, and went days without food. 

Many in his group died, but by some miracle both he and his sister made it. 

His time with border patrol in El Paso was short—just three days—but he told me they barely fed the detainees, gave them thin rolls to sleep on, and screamed at them. 

He's very concerned about his sister, who is still in custody. He told me she's his best friend, and that she knows all the words to every Selena song. 

Miami is his final destination, but he doesn't want to go without her. He's not allowed to stay here for much longer than a week, so all we can do is hope that ICE releases her here and not to Fort Bliss. 

You could tell he is smart, kind, and well-intentioned. I told him I was furious that ICE used ankle bracelets for tracking purposes—that it made him look like a criminal. He just shrugged. 

"We're here, right? We must be thankful," he said.