Haitians arrive at Immigrant Family Services Institute, non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. Illustration by The Haitian Times

While images of Haitians in a Del Rio encampment riveted the world about this time last year, a Haitian man living in Brazil finalized plans to make the same 5,000-mile journey to the U.S. southern border.

“I decided I should still come anyway and not let the chance to go to the U.S pass,” Williams, a Gonaïves native, said. “I did it because I didn’t realize what I was getting into, what was going to happen, but never would do it again,”

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Ashley Miznazi is a Report for America corps member covering the Haitian community in the South Florida/Miami area for The Haitian Times. Her work will heavily feature photography, video and other multimedia storytelling. Previously, Ashley was a multimedia fellow at The Texas Tribune, where she reported on DACA, Afghan resettlement and the foster care system.