Survivors of Mexico’s worst migrant detention center fire stuck in limbo, unable to support families

By MARÍA VERZA
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Four months after a fire at an immigration detention center on the United States border, eight badly burned survivors are stuck in their rooms at a Mexico City hotel. They eat in the hotel restaurant and have regular medical check-ups and make calls home. The Mexican immigration agency is covering the cost of the medical care and hotel stay for survivors of the fire that killed 40 migrants. Migrant advocates call it a conflict of interest for an agency whose officials now face criminal charges including mistreatment and neglect in the fire. Many migrants incurred large debts to the smugglers who were supposed to deliver them to the United States. The survivors have no money to move now, and wouldn’t be allowed to work even if their injuries allowed it.