In 2014 the United States gave Mexico millions of dollars as part of the “Plan Frontera Sur” to make it as difficult as possible for migrants to reach the US-Mexico border, resulting in an increase in human rights violations, arbitrary detentions, and forced disappearances. Sadly, 10 years later, conditions have only worsened.

 

Juanita is one of the hundreds of thousands of migrants trapped within a system designed to criminalize migration.

 

Our film’s main goal is to spotlight Juanita’s case that became emblematic of the fight against language discrimination and the injustices of a migrant 'containment' system imposed by our governments. 

Freeing Juanita shows us how a family’s love, bolstered by the unconditional support of their Mayan community and combined with the efforts of international human rights networks, can resist the policies of exclusion and criminalization of migrants in our countries.