What's wrong with Florida

I have noticed there are some people milling about the plaza with very obvious blue wrist bands similar to those you might get for entrance to a fair or a concert.

I approach one family group of a womon and two men, tell them “bienvenido” and then ask them if they speak Spanish. One of the men smile broadly as he says in English “yes”. I ask if he speaks English. No, not really.

I push forward and ask “de que pais son” to blank stares. I try in English: “What country are you from?”

“Haiti” is the answer and again I smile broadly, tell them welcome and shake each person’s proffered hand. I ask if they speak French or Creole and it’s Creole.

Now I get to talk with them as I summon up google on my phone and ask her to translate into Creole which she happily does.

They tell me they’ve been traveling for 5 months and living at the border in a camp for four months. They said it was very hard to get the cbp one app to work. After three tries, they finally able to schedule an appointment.

Their intention is to go to Florida and when they see my face, they ask me if there’s anything wrong with Florida. Instead of counting all the ways, I suggest they might want to go to New York but the three of them laugh in unison, shake their heads and say they must be as close to Haiti as possible.

I ask if they want to return to Haiti one day and sadness envelops their already drawn faces. After looking at each other, the womon takes my phone and has google translate: there is so much violence and starvation, there is no hope for a better day but she will never give up hope.