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'Fui Muy Afortunado': How One Asylum-Seeker Made It to the Bay Area

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Douglas Oviedo, 36, is one of a few people whose asylum claims at the U.S-Mexico border have been approved ever since the Trump administration implemented its 'Remain in Mexico' policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases are being evaluated. (Farida Jhabvala Romero)

It’s been about a year since the Trump administration changed how seeking asylum works at the U.S-Mexico border. The so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy means that tens of thousands of migrants from Central America have to wait for their court hearings in what can be dangerous conditions.

This policy has made the process much harder for asylum-seekers, who already have an uphill climb to get their claims approved. Only a small fraction of those seeking asylum to escape violence in their countries are accepted into the U.S.

Douglas Oviedo is one of those lucky few. Now he lives in the Bay Area, and he’s trying to help the people who are still waiting at the border.

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