On August 24 Barb Alvarado, Abi Degner, and Sara Hagen met with Congressman Mark Pocan* at his office in Madison. Abi and Sara shared their experience from the trip to Arcatao in June, including how our Sister City has been affected by the ongoing "state of exception" suspending Salvadorans' constitutional rights.
President Nayib Bukele's regime has incarcerated over 70,000 people without access to due process and in terrible conditions. Fear of arrest is contributing to increased migration out of El Salvador toward the United States or neighboring countries. Many who sell everything they have and risk the journey to the U.S. border are then deported back to El Salvador with nothing.
Our group discussed the hope for improved immigration policy for those seeking asylum in the U.S. Abi and Sara shared the good news from our scholarship recipients in Arcatao and warm greetings from Arcatao’s Town Council. They also told Representative Pocan that the people of Arcatao were very grateful for the writing and circulating of a Congressional “Dear Colleague” letter that asked for the freedom of the Salvadoran Water Protectors known as the Santa Marta 5.
Congressman Pocan expressed his concern about what is happening at the border and told the group about his recent visit to the Southern border of the U.S. He asked us to continue to be in close contact with his office.
*Congressman Mark Pocan visited our Sister City of Arcatao in 1998 and has supported our Sistering Project since that time.