The Shield of the Word: Testimonies of Central American Women in Immigration Detention Centers in Texas, United States

Abstract

Central American migrant women fleeing violence are embarking on a migratory exodus whose objective is at the crossing of the border between Mexico and the United States. This article explores the experience of these women who, upon crossing the border, become "criminals" because they lack the documents required to enter the country legally. The vast majority are detained in immigration detention centers. The unit of analysis in this study is constituted by the testimonies-narratives produced by women who, seeking asylum, have crossed the border with their children and have just been separated from them by the Zero Tolerance policy imposed by the Trump administration in 2018. Specifically, it is the letter-testimonies in which they denounce the dehumanization and cruelty of migration policies that guide this article.