Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today responded to the horrific fire in Ciudad Juarez which took the lives of 39 migrants at a government-run facility just south of the U.S.-Mexico border. In response, Danilo Zak, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy at CWS, commented:
“This loss of life is tragic. The women, men, and children we lost in this fire serve as a devastating reminder of how dangerous the road to safety can be. Those who died were seeking a new home, free from violence and persecution, in the hopes that the generations that followed would not know the pangs of hunger, the sleepless nights of fear, nor the worries of their children growing up with an uncertain future.
Seeking asylum is a legal right; any policy that forces the vulnerable to remain in danger is not only against that right, but against the spirit of our nation. We have a duty, not just to the legacies of those who died in this tragedy, but to all those fighting for a brighter future, to overturn immigration policies that force the persecuted to live their lives susceptible to life-threatening risks. We pray for those affected by this tragedy, and in their stead demand the reversal of inhumane immigration practices so we can honor the legal right to asylum.”
For more information, or to speak with Zak, contact media@cwsglobal.org.