Gang Violence In Central America Essay

Kezia Anderson
Mrs. Tamara Shue
English 1101
November 15, 2017
Gang Violence and Child Asylum Seekers from Central America
Introduction
Although war torn nations such as Syria have many refugees seeking asylum, for the United States, most asylees come to the US by way of Central American countries. Unaccompanied children entering the US has been a major occurrence due to many children fleeing the gangs such as the Mara Salvatrucha (“MS”) and Barrio 18 (“18th Street”) gangs that dominate the region with drug activity and gang violence. Protection from the respective government is an unlikely outcome because the police and other authorities have proven at best, ineffective, and at worst, themselves allied with the gangs . In addition, Mam-speaking

Described as America's most violent street gang, members are so feared that in neighboring El Salvador, they have been left to run their own prison while guards and the army keep watch outside. ”

“Gangs, whose membership numbers are more than 85,000, participate in kidnapping, extortion, and forced recruitment. These groups in general, and MS-13 in particular, rely on forced recruitment to expand their memberships. Male children often attempt to leave their country because of a fear of assault or death for refusing to join gangs. Additionally, gangs threaten to kill the families of the young boys they try to recruit…...” (p.1068)

Alexander Grayner, Escaping Forced Gang Recruitment: Establishing Eligibility for Asylum After Matter of S-E-G (2012) states that “Many gang members join to escape a troubled life and to seek support, protection, and financial resources. Mounting evidence reveals that certain individuals in Central America are more vulnerable than others to gang recruitment. When these individuals resist recruitment efforts, they are subject to retaliation, which may include threats, beatings, and even death.” (p.

1425)

Therefore, groups such as “Members of the male Mam-speaking Community” is a distinct sub-class of society where Mam-speaking boys are targeted by gangs in certain areas to supply drugs in Mam communities. This should meet the burden of being part of a particular social group and people fleeing such persecution meet the definition of a “refugee” pursuant to 8 USC § 1101(a)(42)(A).
(Response 2)
In response to the burden of showing political persecution, an asylee that can show how country conditions prevent return to their country of origin should meet that burden since it is that government’s failure to address the issues that have caused the persecution to pervade society. In Guatemala for example, the evidence of poor country conditions is well documented. People in Guatemala are divided into classes, the lower classes descend from the Mayan people (Mam-speaking) and they tend to be farm workers who earn little money compared with the other subsets of Guatemalan society. Gang violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras is widespread, severe, and meted out with impunity. A seemingly immutable feature of the country’s day-to-day reality. The gang crisis across the region more generally fuels some of the highest murder rates in the world and has contributed to the escalation of a veritable humanitarian crisis.