Politics
CROSS-SPECTRUMBROAD COVERAGE
Julio De Ávila family’s U.S. asylum case faces possible transfer to third countries
Julio Alfredo De Ávila Hernández disappeared in 2017 after being coerced into cartel activities and allegedly tortured. His relatives later traveled to the United States, where they cleared the credible‑fear stage of asylum proceedings. In April 2026 an immigration judge offered the family the option to continue their claims in Ecuador, Honduras or Guatemala, designating those nations as safe third countries. The family has since lodged an appeal.
Why it matters
The case highlights how U.S. third‑country transfer policies can affect migrants seeking protection from cartel violence.
How this story developed
- Sep 6 Julio De Ávila family's US asylum case faces possible transfer to third countries
- Sep 8 An immigration judge offered the family the option to proceed with their asylum claims in Ecuador, Honduras or Guatemala.
