Accepting Asylum Seekers from an Ally?

"I felt totally defenseless. Over there (in Chihuahua), the authorities provide no support," the former financial executive said, adding that she was "more afraid of Mexican authorities than of the organized crime groups." -Monica Hernandez

A woman, Monica Hernandez, the daughter-in-law of a slain Mexican activist, was recently granted political asylum In the US after fleeing to El Paso, Texas. From reading the article linked below, it is clear that Mrs. Hernandez certainly has a legitimate fear of persecution, and her grant of asylum on those grounds does not surprise me. What does is that she was fleeing from Mexico, and a US court recognized openly the failures of Mexican law enforcement to protect its citizens. Mexico is a strong US ally, and cooperation has been intensified lately in the form of millions in aid for the war on drugs. (See second article below) It is surprising to me to see the US acknowledge the fact that a major ally, and a major recipient of aid (law enforcment aid no less) is still unstable or dangerous enough to have its citizens, under certain circumstances, to qualify for asylum.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/09/14/us-grants-asylum-to-slain-mexican-activists-daughter-in-law/#ixzz1YLFWhnDC

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124731385