On January 30, the Eliot Immigration Justice Team welcomed more than 60 people to view “Seeking Asylum." The film is a powerful documentary by Rae Ceretto and Kelly Scott that bears witness to the endless deterrents that migrants experience when seeking US asylum. Crossing the border to escape violence is not the final hurdle of the migration journey: it only begins there. The film follows Kensy, a Honduran mother, and her children from their crossing and through the arduous obstacle course of pursuing legal status. “Seeking Asylum” reveals the struggles, resilience, and hope of those seeking refuge before and after border crossing, and why asylum remains an essential part of the American Dream that we can’t afford to lose.

A panel discussion followed the screening, featuring Nicolle (last name withheld), Ben Zeno, and Marilly Lorenz, who addressed the social, political, and economic realities of Honduras; what it is like to grow up there; and the history of U.S. interventions and factors that compel people to leave their country. After the presentations, the enthusiastic audience enjoyed deep conversation with the speakers. The viewing is one of a series of events presented by the Immigration Justice Team roughly once a month to educate the community about the flaws, expense, and human cost of a thoroughly broken “system” that desperately needs reinvention, and provide ideas about how each of us can make it better.