LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers Find Hope in the U.S. After Fleeing Honduras

A group of three friends from Honduras, including Gretta Mazariegos and her brother Isaac, have embarked on a perilous journey to escape the violence and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community in their home country. Gretta Mazariegos emphasized the dire situation, stating that survival is paramount for LGBTQ+ individuals in Honduras. Fearing for their lives, the trio left Honduras on February 7, 2023, traveling through Guatemala and Mexico before reaching Tijuana, near the U.S. border. Their journey was fraught with danger, including a violent encounter in Tijuana with a man who had initially befriended them. While they survived, many others in the LGBTQ+ community have not been as fortunate. Now in the U.S., Carranza and her friends are seeking asylum but face challenges due to their inability to afford legal representation. They are actively searching for free legal services to assist them in their asylum application process. The group is gathering evidence of the abuse they endured, although their hasty departure from Honduras limited their ability to collect documentation. Carranza recounted a harrowing experience of being chased by men with machetes, after which they sought help from the police, only to be dismissed. Despite these challenges, they are hopeful as they await their first court date in the U.S., with Isaac Mazariegos expressing a newfound sense of safety and freedom to be himself.