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churches speak out
were in school, thanks to scholar- ships from sister parishes in the U.S. or Europe. Some were giſted Sunday school teachers. Most belonged to their congregation’s youth group. None of this protected them from two criminal youth gangs (MS 13 and Barrio 18) that exert con- trol in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Victoria (names of teens, family
members and some Lutheran pastors were changed or withheld for their safety) is 17. Her family lives in a semirural community an hour from San Salvador. “Teir neighborhood is con-
trolled by a gang,” her pastor said. “Victoria had nothing to do with them, but the rival gang that controls the area around her school didn’t believe her. Tey harassed her as she walked to school; then she received phone threats. She stopped going to school, hoping the threats would end. Tey didn’t.” Fearing for her life, Victoria’s
parents sent her to the U.S. in early June. She surrendered to U.S. Border Police and spent three weeks in a shelter for unaccompanied minors. Placed in a relative’s custody, she awaits an immigration hearing on her petition to remain in the U.S. In San Miguel, Francisco, 16,
faced a different dilemma. Com- pared to other parts of El Salvador, life in his rural village used to be peaceful. “Ten a gang member [from
out of town] showed up and began forming a new ‘clique’ in an adjacent village,” his older sister said. “We’re pretty sure he was running from the
police somewhere else in El Salva- dor. Some teenagers from our village joined the gang. Francisco refused. Tat’s when the threats began.”
Life or death decisions Gangs in El Salvador mean it when they say “join us or die.” Francisco’s family didn’t take any chances. In June he headed north. To everyone’s relief, he reached the U.S. and is safely beyond the gang’s reach. North of San Salvador in Chalat-
enango, Laura had a promising life. “She was the only teenager [from] our rural hamlet going to high school,” her mother said. But Laura had to walk to school—30 minutes each way. A gang member stopped her one day and wanted her to be his girlfriend. Laura refused. He persisted. “We became terrified when one
of my nephews was gunned down while delivering bread door-to- door,” her mother said. “Two days later a close friend of my nephew was also shot and killed. Both were our neighbors.” Laura’s family took immediate
steps to get her out of El Salvador. She made the trip to the U.S. with other girls around her age (17). Fol- lowing their smuggler’s advice, they turned themselves in as soon as they crossed the Rio Grande River. Aſter being detained in two
shelters for unaccompanied minors, Laura was released. She is living with an older sister in Florida while awaiting an immigration hearing. For every at-risk teenager who
has leſt El Salvador, more are desper- ate to do so. “Parents visit me every
week. I see their anguish,” said Rafael Menjivar. “Tis is hard for me as a pastor. I have seen these kids grow up. Te dangers they face are real.” With the U.S. expediting depor-
tation hearings, other challenges may arise as unaccompanied minors are sent home. If Victoria, Francisco or Laura are among them, they will return to the same gang-controlled areas—and greater danger. In the logic of gangs, leaving their terri- tory makes you an enemy, not just a target. In other cases, deportations may
lead to an entire family’s financial ruin. Desperate to hire a smug- gler’s services, some of the poorest families turned over deeds to their homes, hoping to eventually pay off the debt with earnings from a son or daughter in the U.S. As one mother shared: “If she doesn’t [stay in the U.S.] we’ll lose everything and end up in the street.” Angel Ibarra is the new vice
minister in El Salvador’s Environ- mental Ministry but prefers the title of devout Lutheran. “It is hard for El Salvador to progress if one-third of our population is living abroad,” he said. “We need to create a Salvadoran dream, not the American dream. “Churches here have a lot to
do with creating this dream ... but we need everyone’s participation, including the solidarity of U.S. churches ... voices distinct from those who clamor for deportations and higher walls. We know you exist. We need your support.”
Author bio: Deal is a missionary serving as regional representative for ELCA Global Mission in Central America.
October 2014 29
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