A journey to the land of the free: Part One -- Beaten and scared young children flee violence and turn to the United States for hope

Gang violence in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador force many immigrants to come to the United States.

Blistered feet and filthy, blood-stained skin is the forlorn image of immigrants preparing to cross the border. With hopeful hearts and anxious minds, immigrants, of all ages, assemble to make the leap into their promise land.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Most have overcame unimaginable obstacles to get to this point.

Fleeing from the gangs, violence and abuse in their home country, coming to the United States is the only way to stay alive for many of the immigrants, especially the children.

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"I didn't come here looking for my mother or father. I came here to save my life," expressed 17-year-old Susana of the Honduras to an Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice) lawyer. "I was looking for a light."

"I never wanted to come to the United States. I would not have come if I thought I could live in Honduras," said 16-year-old Eduardo. "But if I would have stayed, I would be dead."

Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world. Guatemala and El Salvador are also in the top five most dangerous countries in the world today, according to Americans for Immigrant Justice's "Children Fleeing Central America: Stories from the Front Lines in Florida."

Innocent children are caught in the middle of deadly violence and incomprehensible hate. They are attacked, threatened, beaten and raped on a daily basis.

For many of these children, seeing dead bodies on the ground everyday is normal. Watching a family member be murdered and seeing gangs run up and down the streets is as common as going to school or seeing a mailman for an American child.

Gang members hover outside the schools waiting to ambush young and vulnerable children.

Tired of being afraid, the only option remaining is to run. Evading the gangs and remaining in their home countries is no longer a sensible option for many of the struggling youth.

"Gang members followed me everywhere I went. I even found notes under my door saying that I would be killed. I moved several times to try to keep safe, but the gang members always managed to find us," said Marissa, an immigrant from El Salvador.

The number of children making the perilous and life-threatening journey to the United States on their own has fiercely increased in the last year.

According to AI Justice, over 57,000 unaccompanied minors were captured at the Southwest border between October 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014; twice as many as in 2013.

This alarming number is expected to reach 90,000 by the end of 2014.

"The children's tragic stories of suffering and survival permeate your mind and your heart. You began to think differently; twenty hours of work could save a child," expressed Aidil Oscariz, AI Justice staff attorney. "This work trivializes what you used to consider problems. It has indelibly changed who I am and I am a better person for it."

Many immigrants travel thousands of miles over several weeks to reach the United States border from their home country. Most arrive with only the clothes on their backs.

A 2009 Catholic Relief Services study of Central American children trying to reach the United States found more than 70 percent have accounts of being robbed, extorted, intimidated or abused physically or sexually during the trip.

"The journey was awful. When I rested, I could no longer get up. I almost died there. I felt I could no longer move my body," expressed Maria. "When I arrived here, I weighed 88 pounds. I used to weigh 103 pounds."

It was all worth it to these children though. The pain, the fear, the risk; it was all worth it.

They were finally making it to that land of the free and the home of the brave. At last, they would be able to breathe and feel safe.

Until they are apprehended by Border Patrol.

What immigrants endure after being detained isn't the picture of freedom. Whether four-years-old or 45-years old, all immigrants are treated the same, and this treatment is not at all humane.

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