Somali woman granted asylum in US
by Adriana M. Chávez \ El Paso Times
Posted: 01/08/2011 12:00:00 AM MST
Asha Omar, a native of Somalia, spent almost a year looking for safety, away from the Islamic militants who murdered most of her family.
Late last year, she found it in El Paso.
In November, a federal immigration judge granted Omar's application for asylum based on her fear of being persecuted in her home country.
"I feel safe now," Omar, 19, said as she sat in a small office at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, 1500 E. Yandell.
At least two other Somalis are in El Paso seeking asylum, said Louie Gilot, executive director of Las Americas.
Nationwide, more than 300 Somalis requested asylum in 2009. Almost 200 were granted their requests.
Omar's experience began in October 2009, when members of the militant group Al Shabaab began threatening Omar's father into allowing their leader to marry Omar's older sister. Omar's father refused, and they shot him and Omar's sister and brother, then slit their throats.
Omar's mother asked a neighbor to bury them, then fled with Omar to Mogadishu that night.
They eventually ended up in the nearby country of Djibouti. From there, Omar decided to make her way to the United States, where she would avoid persecution.
For the first time in her life, Omar wore jeans in order to hike over mountains and walk through rivers and lakes during her travels. It was also the first time she traveled anywhere by herself, with strangers helping her along the way.
"I was scared because I'm young and it's the first time I traveled alone," Omar said.
She managed to make her way to Cuba and then flew to Mexico. At the San Ysidro port of entry in California, she requested asylum, and she was taken to the El Paso Immigration Detention Center while her application was processed.
While she was detained, Omar learned that members of Al Shabaab were still threatening members of her family. They tracked down a 16-year-old cousin and demanded he tell them where Omar and her mother were. Because he didn't know, Omar said, they cut off one of his hands and a foot. He died 10 days later.
Her aunt later fled to a refugee camp in Kenya, Omar said.
"Sometimes I feel stressed because of my family," Omar said. "I hope one day I can get my mom and auntie into the U.S."
Omar said she's still trying to adjust to life in America. She's still getting used to wearing jeans and eating unfamiliar food. She's slowly becoming more confident in her English and has picked up a few phrases in Spanish.
She remains an extremely shy teenager, but she becomes more animated as she talks about her goals in life. She'd eventually like to go to college and study to become either a nurse or doctor.
"I feel good," Omar said, flashing a big smile.
Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes .com; 546-6117.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_17039428
