By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press

Dunia, a young Honduran mom of twenty four, came to the United States in hopes of a better future for her family and to flee from the ongoing drug violencethats rampant in her native hometown. She shared that her father, Genaro, and 17-year-old nephew had been tragically killed by narcotraffickers, which caged them in a stressful situation fearing the criminal gangs would find them.

Therefore, Dunia as well as her 5-year-old son, Wuilman, and 8-year-old niece, Katie, took on the journey of seeking refuge in the United States. They traveled by bus, which made it easier compared to other alternatives. However, unbeknownst to her the United States had a new policy of separating children from their

parents upon arrival, even for those who were seeking asylum.

Dunia was separated from her son and was taken to a detention center in McAllen, known to detainees as “La Perrera” — the Dog Pound. But, help was soon to arrive to Dunia and to several other mothers and fathers being held at the Port Isabel Detention Center. Reason being was because on Thursday, July 26, the Trump administration issued a mandate to the federal court to reunite families that had been separated, making the Port Isabel Detention Center as one of the “reunification” centers.

Once that passed and with the help of many immigration attorneys who regularly visit the detention center, they began to collect information and raise funds for bail, travel and living necessities, and got the ball rolling for Dunia’s release and reuniting of her son.

To read more about how Dunia was finally freed from the detention center, and how La Posada Providencia gave her refuge, and her pursuit to reunite with Wuilman, her son click here.