DES MOINES, Iowa - The mass migration of Central American children has made headlines, sparked debate, and ignited a political firestorm in recent weeks, but one Iowa woman hopes her experience can shed some light upon why this is happening, and what can be done to help.

Kenia Calderon made the journey from El Salvador to the United States nine years ago, when she was just 11. She says her native country was on a downward spiral of economic despair, crime, and gang violence, and the problems have only gotten worse.

"The violence was horrible, you just didn't feel safe," she says. "Gang members would kidnap girls and force them into their gangs and make them sex slaves."

Calderon received a work permit under an Obama administration program created in 2012 called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and currently works as an administrative assistant for the American Friends Service Committee while attending Drake University.

She says she doesn't know if the Deferred Action program or something similar is the right answer for the current flood of immigrants, but she says it's time to look for solutions rather than playing the "blame game."

"For once we need to stop worrying about the whole political aspect and just think about what these human beings are going through," says Calderon. "We need to think about what is making them come here."

Calderon hopes her success story will give hope to other immigrant children, and put a face on the current situation for many Iowans who might not have connections to that part of the world.

"Everything I went through in El Salvador and while I was making the journey to this country helped me mature," says Calderon. "I appreciate being given a work permit. It's changed my life for the better, and it's opened up so many doors for me."

The American Friends Service Committee in Iowa helps immigrants organize for their rights and provides immigration legal services, including workshops for youth seeking to renew their Deferred Action status.

This story was made possible in part by the Voqal Fund.


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Groups supporting peace around the globe say the budget approved by Congress is lacking crucial components.

After a monthslong stalemate, Congress has approved the fiscal year 2024 budget.

Megan Rodgers, U.S. policy and advocacy manager for the group Nonviolent Peaceforce, said there are cuts across the board affecting humanitarian aid and civilian support. She pointed out the bill also does not include language recognizing unarmed civilian protection, a methodology to peacefully protect civilians in violent conflicts.

"Any violent conflict that's making headlines today, there are UCP groups that are working and very effective, have access that other traditional aid groups don't, are equipping and protecting civilians that often go overlooked and disproportionately feel the effects of this violent conflict," Rodgers explained.

Rodgers pointed out unarmed civilian protection is used around the world and the U.S. government provides funds for groups employing it.

Rodgers noted budget negotiations for next year are already happening.

"That language was not included for the first time in about five years in the fiscal year 2024 bill and we are really keen to have that included in fiscal year 2025," Rodgers emphasized.

Rodgers added Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has a lot of influence on funds, such as for groups using unarmed civilian protection, as the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We have appreciated her leadership in the past but are certainly looking for more support specifically for unarmed civilian protection as well as peace building and protection in the upcoming year," Rodgers stressed.

Organizations are asking people to join them in a fast on Thanksgiving in solidarity with people suffering from war conditions in Gaza.

Groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oregon and the Movement for Black Lives are calling for a global fast to highlight the dire humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza.

Je Amaechi, digital organizer for Freedom to Thrive, said Thanksgiving Day was chosen for a reason.

"That was intentional because we know a lot of people are gathering to celebrate, to feast," Amaechi explained. "We also want people to experience a slight aspect of deprivation so they can feel a little bit of what Palestinians experience daily in Gaza."

At least 12,000 people in Gaza have died since Israel began its military action there. Israel began the assault in response to an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people.

Amaechi noted the event is inspired by fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Black August, which has a fasting tradition held in solidarity with and in commemoration of Black political prisoners.

"We were both drawing from our own fasting traditions and our cultures and understanding from those traditions that there can be sort of a spiritual framework or spiritual underpinning to the political work we're doing," Amaechi emphasized.

Amaechi added organizations like Freedom to Thrive will continue to work toward peace in Gaza.

"Fasting is not enough and we recognize that there has to be more than that," Amaechi acknowledged. "But we're hoping this can be sort of like a spiritual challenge that can help us reflect on our privileges and just consider the stark contrast with those suffering under occupation in Gaza."

Some Missourians fear an increase in hate crimes in the wake of a six-year-old's murder in Illinois this week - an incident authorities say was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. Department of Justice's current hate crime fact sheet finds religion-based hate crimes in Missouri have more than doubled since 2019.

Captain Corey Carlisle of the Kansas City Police Department said there are no immediate safety concerns for Kansas City metro area residents.

"We closely monitor any threats or potential threats that could be targeting members of our community. If we receive any information that there is a potential for violence towards a certain person, place or thing, KCPD will implement extra patrol and security measures to ensure the safety of all of our community members," Carlisle said.

On Thursday, the Council on American Islamic Relations or CAIR cancelled its 29th annual banquet. The hotel scheduled to host the event this weekend - in Arlington, Virginia - has received multiple threats targeting the hotel, its staff, CAIR and American Muslims.

The most recent DOJ statement involves hate crime threats made this week in North Carolina toward Muslims. And the FBI has just released detailed 2022 data on over 11 million criminal offenses nationwide, including religion-based hate crimes.

Yasir Ali, CAIR Missouri Chapter Board Chair, said it is being proactive and planning talks about guidance with authorities around the state.

"There is the fear, especially what happened in Chicago, with a six-year-old that was stabbed 26 times," Ali said. "The community is in fear. It's nothing based on evidence at this point - like, within Missouri - but overall, there is this fear of an increase of Islamophobia."

In August, a Missouri man was sentenced to prison and damages for hate crime and arson violations, after pleading guilty to burning down the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center in 2020.


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