Usted tiene derechos que deben ser respetados. Si bien este es un procedimiento administrativo que realiza el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, los agentes de inmigración tienen la obligación de respetar sus derechos fundamentales.
Translation
You have rights that they must respect. While this is a administrative procedure that the government of the United States carries out, the immigration agents have an obligation to respect your fundamental rights.
-La Hora, Guatemala
The relationship between the United States Border Control and immigrants from Central America has often been strenuous. In 2009 Cecilia Menjívar wrote about the hardships many immigrants from Central America go through in their journey north. This writing highlighted the relationship between immigrants and Border Control as well as the conflict immigrants faced with smugglers that they relied upon for entrance into the United States. Menjívar highlights the different interpretations of the law used by Border Control to often take advantage of immigrants coming to the United States without proper documentation. (Menjívar pp. 1395-1400)
This article was published by one of Guatemala’s national newspapers to serve as a guide to those who intended to travel north illegally. The article covers five main points the reader should know about the responsibility of Border Control agents to maintain a humane environment for detainees. The first point talks about who border patrol agents want to deport, families and those with final deportation notices. The second point in the article tell how immigrants should conduct themselves around border control. The third and fourth points inform the immigrants of the rights they have in the United States. The final point tells immigrants to carry or memorize phone numbers of family in case of detention.
The article shows public concern in Guatemala over Guatemalans immigrating to the United States. It also shows that there was public knowledge being circulated in the country about the risks of going north. This article would be read by many Guatemalans, but a number of Guatemalans do not speak Spanish and it is unknown whether or not the indigenous people migrating north would be able to read this document.