‘The human side’: Advocate for Venezuelan immigrants asks for understanding amid the influx

SALT LAKE CITY — Mayra Molina is not deaf to the sharp criticism some politicians and others are directing at immigrants entering the United States through the southern border with Mexico.

“Obviously it hurts,” she said.

An immigrant herself, Molina came to the United States from Venezuela in 1998 and now works with immigrants through the Venezuelan Alliance of Utah, a nonprofit she helps lead that helps newcomers to the country.

But she says most of the people she helps are largely asylum seekers, families looking for work – not handouts – and a better future. She receives the criticism, but seeing ‘the human side’ of their struggle and the effort they make – to come to the United States and then try in a new country – she sees the situation differently.

“You know, they’re really committed to improving their lives,” she said.

As the debate over immigration rages, Molina has an up-close look at the situation by meeting and working with immigrants coming to Utah along with other immigration advocates. And although she has a sympathetic view, she offers insight into the process and the factors that led many Venezuelans in particular to the United States.

Homeless shelters in Utah are reporting a sharp influx of immigrants, particularly from Venezuela, leading state, Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City officials to issue a flyer asking asylum seekers to reconsider their plans to come to Utah if they have no family or friends here.

Molina estimates that the Venezuelan population in Utah has increased from about 5,000 in 2020 to about 20,000. If true, that total would make it the third-largest community of Latinos in the state, behind those of Mexican descent, by far the largest Hispanic contingent, and Peruvians, who number about 30,000, Molina believes.

The main factor driving Venezuelans away, Molina says, is the political persecution many say they face from the government of President Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department noted “significant human rights issues” in Venezuela in 2023, citing reports of hundreds of extrajudicial killings carried out by Maduro operatives over the course of the year. The State Department issued another “do not travel” advisory for Venezuela last month due to “crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”

“We have families…their houses burned down, you know, or the children kidnapped or put in jail just because of their political views,” she said.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of November last year there were approximately 7.7 million Venezuelans spread around the world, mainly in Latin America. About 2.9 million people fled to neighboring Colombia, the top destination, followed by Peru (1.5 million) and the United States, about 545,000, according to 2023 figures.

A Human Rights Watch report called the Venezuelan exodus “one of the world’s largest migration crises.”

In that context, Molina said, many Venezuelans are heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. There, at least until President Joe Biden’s announcement last week about new restrictions on asylum seekers at the border, they traveled to a border processing facility and cited a “credible fear” of persecution in an asylum request. Those who file persecution claims that are accepted by U.S. agents can enter the United States while their asylum claims are processed and receive work permits, which has played a role in the influx of immigrants into the country.

From there, Molina said, typical destinations for the newcomers include larger cities in Texas, Chicago, Florida and New York City. But more and more people are finding their way to Utah. Gov. Spencer Cox lashed out at Denver’s mayor last week after reports emerged that Colorado’s capital had covered the costs of sending some immigrants to Salt Lake City.

But Molina said there are other factors at play in the increase in the number of Venezuelans in Utah, including the state’s relatively strong economy and “family-oriented” culture.

“The other part is obviously the cost of living. For them, the rental and other costs of living are very cheap compared to other states,” she said.

Word of mouth also plays a role. Venezuelans already in Utah will tell others that the state is “a great place to be,” she said.

The concentration of Venezuelans is still higher in the larger urban centers, but the influx into Utah is so great that it is overwhelming the smaller social services infrastructure, leading to the current situation, Molina said. The Venezuelan Alliance of Utah used its social media accounts to distribute the warning flyer from the state, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County.

Resources are “limited compared to a year or two years ago,” Molina said. “There is no more room for shelters. Organizations no longer have resources and money to provide more assistance.”

Accordingly, she asks aspiring immigrants thinking of coming to Utah “to have a plan,” whether in coordination with friends, family, a church or another entity. “It is very difficult for us to see families living on the streets with children,” she said.

She also asks the broader public to better understand the forces at play among immigrants and asylum seekers.

“Please don’t judge… until you at least have had a chance to know their situation,” she said.