A majority of migrants bused to Chicago over the past year are Venezuelans, including at least 59% of the 8,360 people in city shelters. Nationally, they are also now the largest group of illegal border crossers.
They seek asylum here by lying, according to Jesus Rodriguez-Espinoza, who served as Consul General of Venezuela in Chicago from 2008 to 2017.
In an In These Times column interview last week, he said this:
"When they request asylum in the United States, migrants have to say something against their government. But everyone in the Venezuelan community knows that it’s a lie. Venezuelan comedians in Florida, like George Harris, joke about the Venezuelans lying to the migration people just in order to receive asylum."
They lie that way because to be granted asylum, migrants must be able to demonstrate that they are in danger of persecution in their country due to their race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion.
The context of Rodriguez-Espinoza’s comment about the lying is his claim that Venezuelans leave their country because of the economic impact of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
But saying, “I’m trying to escape the consequences of U.S. sanctions” doesn’t work for asylum purposes.
For Venezuelans, the Biden Administration also recently announced it will speed up work authorizations and extend for 18 months the temporary protected status for Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on or before July 31. That’s for Venezuelans only.
Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and others called for that action, saying it is especially needed in Chicago, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times and others.
Have compassion for migrants, wherever they are. Many are desperate. But our farcical border policy must end.