On US-Mexico Border, Groups Help Migrants with Severe Problems

On US-Mexico Border, Groups Help Migrants with Severe Problems

Many migrants are arriving at the U.S.-Mexican border in need of medical and mental health treatment.

Doctors, social workers, shelter directors, clergy¹ and law enforcement officials say growing numbers of migrants have experienced or witnessed violence.

Dr. Brian Elmore volunteers at a health center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The city is on the U.S.-Mexico border. Elmore has treated about 100 migrants for viruses affecting the lungs and some for emergencies.

But he said trauma² worries him the most.

"Most of our patients have symptoms of PTSD — I want to initiate³ a screening for every patient," said Elmore who is an emergency doctor at Clinica Hope. PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder⁴. It is a condition of extreme tension caused by a shocking or severe event in the past.

But there are few resources for this kind of care. Shelters have been flooded by new arrivals and migrants who have been in Ciudad Juarez for months. Only the most severe cases are treated.

"Like a pregnant 13-year-old who fled gang rapes⁵, and so needs help with childcare and middle school," said Zury Reyes Borrero. Borrero works in Arizona with the Center for Victims of Torture. He said he visited such a girl when she gave birth. "We get people at their most vulnerable," he said.

In the past six months, Reyes Borrero and a coworker have worked with about 100 migrants in Catholic Community Services' Casa Alitas. It is a shelter in Tucson, Arizona. In December, Casa Alitas was receiving about 700 people daily released by U.S. officials. They came from countries including Congo and Mexico.

Each visit can take hours, as the case workers try to build trust with migrants, Reyes Borrero said.

Most migrants are traumatized by what they left behind or what they saw on their trip, said Leonce Byimana. He is director of U.S. clinical services for the Center for Victims of Torture. He said the migrants need "first-aid mental health" as well as long-term care that is even harder to get once they leave the shelters.

Left untreated, trauma can get worse to the point where it requires psychiatric care instead of treatment and self-help, said Dylan Corbett. He is the Hope Border Institute's director, the group that operates Clinica Hope.

Reports say there has been an increase in pregnant women and girls in the border area. Some are victims of attacks. Some are younger than 15.

Volunteers and activists⁶ have used limited legal, medical and other resources to help these victims. The situation has left hundreds of other victims of political violence and organized crime without help.

In many cases, forensic⁷ tests at border medical centers that aim to record mental and physical abuse are very important to migrants' asylum⁸ cases. Byimana said often no other evidence is available for courts to make asylum decisions. Asylum is given to those who cannot return to their countries for fear of harm or violence. That can include violence against women.

But it takes years for asylum cases to be decided⁹ in U.S. immigration court. Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, an information center, said more than 1.5 million people are waiting for their cases to be heard.

Activists say a long wait for asylum and a long trip through many countries can worsen the trauma that migrants experience.

Sarah Howell treats migrants suffering from problems in Houston, Texas. She has been studying trauma and forced migration¹⁰ for 15 years. "There's a different tension and fear in faces than I've seen before," she said.

Words in This Story

trauma — n. a difficult experience that causes emotional problems –n. (medical) a serious injury to the body

initiate — v. to start something to happen

screening — n. a process of finding out information from a person for a purpose

vulnerable — adj. able to be hurt or influenced physically¹¹ or emotionally

psychiatric — adj. related to medical treatment of mental or emotional disorders¹²

forensic — adj. related to the use of scientific knowledge to solve crimes

1 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

2 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

3 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

8 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

11 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

12 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》