Jessica Koscielniak

The Trump Administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy has returned more than 50,000 asylum seekers from Central and South America to Mexican border towns to await processing. These towns have now become squalid refugee camps with little infrastructure and few resources. The migrants live in tattered tents, bathe in polluted rivers, and survive on whatever food aid workers can provide. But, the worst part for these refugees is the wait. Immigration court backlogs mean that most will not have their cases heard by a US judge for months. As the days and weeks pass, children get sicker, families exhaust legal options, and hope runs low. “The Wait at Matamoros” takes an intimate look at life at the refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico. The short film follows Yenny, her husband Jose, and their two-year old daughter, Monsey. The family traveled from Honduras to escape gang violence and extortion, only to be stopped at the US border. They have a scheduled immigration hearing but, in the meantime, they must figure out how to survive at the camp. Monsey is constantly sick from bathing in the river. The heat of the plaza becomes unbearable. And the nights stretch out mercilessly as Jose stays awake to protect his family from kidnappers. Despite the brutality of life at the camp in Matamoros, Yenny and her family remain hopeful. One day, they are married by a minister from the United States, something they could not afford to do in their home country. Monsey plays with children on the concrete plaza. And Yenny awaits their turn to enter the United States. Awards: White House News Photographers, First Place Features; Pictures of the Year International, Award of Excellence; Best of the West, Best Video