Talk focuses on social justice at the border

UTEP professor Mark Lusk spoke on his research with Mexican and Central American migrants at the La Fe Culture and Technology Center Saturday.

“I speak on their behalf because they are unable to speak themselves,” Lusk said.

Tying Latin American immigration issues to the Syrian refugee crisis, Lusk said he doesn’t think the situations are very different.

“We’re going to grant entry to a considerable number of people from Syria, in the many thousands, but at the same time we are turning away Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and people from southern states of Mexico like Chiapas,” he said.

Touching on the wide variety of individuals that come into the US, Lusk explained the difference between an economic migrant and a refugee.

“People are coming to the United States for fear of their lives, they’re not coming here for work,” said the professor.

Also addressed were the problems faced by immigrants in the US legally.

“Life is difficult for someone coming into the US without an established record, and no references. Even renting a house could be hard,” said Maria Bencomo, a Mexican immigrant and American resident.

The talks are held every two months, and the Social Justice Education Forum is looking to hold some discussions in Juarez, making it an international event.