The first town you drive through heading west from Guadalajara on Highway 15 is La Venta del Astillero.
Centuries ago, it was a major source of lumber for construction projects in the City of Roses. Today, it seems like little more than a set of speed bumps along the road to Nogales. Or so it appears.
One day, my wife was chatting with a woman in La Venta about the plight of the migrants we see daily, begging for spare change at a railway crossing on the edge of the town.
“Oh yes, I know them,” the woman said. “They all sleep at the albergue (shelter) not far from my house.”
Curious to learn more about the shelter, we decided to visit and meet the ladies who run it, located at Calle Agustín Yañez 122. Our first surprise was learning that the migrant situation is far from new.
“There have always been migrants riding the rails,” said Guadalupe Ochoa. “This refuge has been receiving them since it was founded in 1987. We see people from Honduras and Nicaragua trying to reach the United States, but we also help Mexicans from Guanajuato, Veracruz, and Nayarit who are simply homeless or sick. Here, they can get food, medicine, a change of clothes, and temporary shelter. We even have separate sleeping areas for women, families, and men.”
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.