Already chaotic US-Mexico border faces new crisis

texas: A 4-year-old girl sits outside a church in the unrelenting El Paso sun. At the church, millions of immigrants who have crossed the southern border in search of a better life camp under flat boxes lined with white tarps and donated blankets.

Ahead of dramatic changes in immigration policy this week, the child and his parents, Luis Valbuena and Maria Claudia, embarked on a two-and-a-half-month journey across the jungle, mostly on foot, from their home in Colombia. bottom. Travel through the fast-flowing rivers of Panama and Nicaragua and past Mexican drug cartels.

Now, after being arrested, processed by Texas authorities, and released back into society to await immigration hearings (a controversial practice that limits the number of families held in jail), what happens next? I’m not sure.

“I want to go to Denver because I have relatives in Denver,” said Valbuena, 22, as she showed Homeland Security papers confirming she had been granted a court hearing to officially seek U.S. residency. says.

The problem is that the trial date is not until March 13, 2027, due to the unusual retention of immigrants from Latin America. What will they do in the next four years?

“I don’t know,” he said, holding his daughter tight as his partner sat next to him.

“I have no money, so I would like to find a job somewhere…”

Australia’s immigration system, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants, is considered one of the strictest in the world. The US regime, which saw a record 2.3 million arrests last year along the 3,000-kilometer southern border that separates the United States from Mexico, is notoriously chaotic.

Many are feeling worse now that Trump-era policies that allowed the government to immediately deport citizens, with some exceptions, to stop the spread of the new coronavirus have expired. prepared for.

“I’m very worried about what’s going to happen,” said John Martin, deputy director of El Paso’s Homeless Opportunity Center. About 800 migrants were sleeping in the alleys outside last Sunday, he said, as the shelter was already full.

“We know we see a lot of individuals, but we don’t know how much.

Even before Title 42 ended Thursday at 11:59 pm (Washington time, or Friday afternoon Australian Eastern time), signs of tension were everywhere.

The informal economy was booming in downtown El Paso last weekend, when 2,500 immigrants camped outside the Sacred Heart Church. One was charging him $1 per phone bill at his home. Some poured Coca-Cola for the same price, while others sold flat cardboard boxes to sleep in.

In Washington, two buses of immigrants arrived at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday morning. Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched a controversial bus policy last year to condemn Joe Biden’s “broken” immigration system. Since then, other Republican governors have followed suit, with New York, Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard.

Loading

And in Manhattan, a “sanctuary city” where all those in need of housing have their own legal right to shelter, Mayor Eric Adams last week sent about 300 men to hotels in Rockland and Orange counties. After announcing plans to contain it, a new uproar broke out. meet the demand.

Since August, more than 36,000 immigrants have come to the Big Apple to stay in Manhattan hotels with complimentary tax-funded services, sparking smoldering outrage from some parts of the community. there is Adams’ announcement added to the tension.

“That’s my response,” Rockland County Republican executive Ed Day said on local AM radio show WABC-770. “Mr. Adams, run us over and I’ll reach out and grab your throat for the people of Rockland County.”

“Incredible Horror”

New York, in many ways, symbolizes the terror and turmoil surrounding the end of Title 42 and the beginning of another regime known as Title 8.

Under the new rules, people cannot seek asylum in the United States without first applying for and being denied legal protection in another country.

If not, you can make your case through a “trusted fear” interview, explaining why you left home or why you faced persecution or frustration. However, if customs officials find the reasons not sufficiently justified (or if the immigrant fails to apply for asylum), they will be deported back to their country of origin or Mexico.

Additionally, unlike Title 42, persons returned under Title 8 may be barred from re-entering the United States for at least five years and risk criminal prosecution for repeated re-entry.

This kind of policy has exposed Joe Biden to attacks from all sides. Republicans, meanwhile, have accused him of creating “chaos” by being too lenient with border security. Meanwhile, some Democrats and Progressives argue he hasn’t done enough to create better, more efficient pathways to help people apply for asylum. .

“Biden talks about restoring the soul of the nation. Let’s not forget we are a nation of immigrants,” tweeted Rep.

Since taking office in January 2021, six One million illegal immigrants detained or blocked under Biden administration – More than any president in history.

But America’s border crisis spans successive governments and is affected by shifting immigration patterns. Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Institute for Immigration Policy, said the issue is unlikely to be resolved without bipartisan political will.

The new policy is a “major” change, according to Chishti, because for the first time in U.S. history, those arriving between legal ports of entry will be “presumably ineligible for asylum.”

However, when asked what impact the end of Title 42 might have, he replied: “Honestly, there are so many unknowns and I don’t know how it will play out.”

“Rubber will be stuck if the government doesn’t have the capacity to handle the workforce,” he said.

“Suppose 10,000 people cross the border under Title 8. But the administration only has the capacity to handle 1,000. What about the other 9,000?”

Back in Texas, state and federal officials are aware of this challenge.

With the countdown to lifting Title 42 looming this week, Mr. Biden sent 1,500 troops to the border to replenish state-based National Guard forces, and on Monday patrolmen handed out leaflets and turned themselves in for processing. instructed people to do

Additional shelters were set up in old schools to allow migrants to move on to their next destination, as well as to minimize the number of people sleeping on the streets, but this meant the borders would be “wide open.” White House aides knew that the allegation that they were “detained” would be taken seriously.

The preparations seem to have gone well. By the time pandemic policies ended Thursday night, downtown El Paso was relatively quiet, with no ferocious rush of people crossing the Rio Grande along the border wall. The next day, the facility was packed, but border crossings were less than expected.

Still, thousands of migrants are set to be released within days, and many more are sitting on the Mexican side waiting for a chance to enter.

“We know this is just the beginning,” El Paso Mayor Oscar Lieser said Friday.

It was also the beginning for those who made the perilous journey to America, some of whom had their savings stolen by smugglers. Some risk their lives in search of something better.

Among them is Eduardo Rubio, 28, who left the Venezuelan dictatorship eight months ago and arrived in El Paso eight days ago via Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

“I came here because I want to give my family a better life,” he tells me.

Another Venezuelan man, who requested anonymity, told a similar story, but seemed more fearful and anxious about his future.

Sitting outside the Sacred Heart Church with a ziplock bag full of amenities and a custom phone given to him by authorities to track his movements, he must attend in New York on June 16. Showed me the promise of Homeland Security that I must. Then he would be subject to deportation.

“But I have no money,” he says. “How are you going to get there?”

Receive notes directly from foreigners correspondent about what is going on around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter here.