PanaTimes

Saturday, Apr 01, 2023

Migrants from multiple countries overwhelm US-Mexico border, adding to Biden administration's challenges

Migrants from multiple countries overwhelm US-Mexico border, adding to Biden administration's challenges

In the early morning hours, under beaming lights, groups of migrants turn the corner of the border wall, anxiously trying to reach US Border Patrol agents.

One by one, the migrants turn themselves in, hoping to seek asylum. It's an example of the mass migration around the world that's arriving at the US-Mexico border.

The influx is an alarming trend made more difficult by the wide range of nationalities arriving. Many of the migrants who spoke to CNN said they came from Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia and Peru -- marking a shift from previous years.

Previously, Yuma usually received people from Mexico and Central America, meaning countries that are easier to process, according to Yuma Border Patrol Sector Chief Chris Clem. Now, they're seeing more than 100 nationalities.

"The countries we're receiving now -- those nationalities are flying in, arriving to the border, and they're having to be processed and there's just so many of them that it is posing a challenge to the workforce," Clem said, adding that up to 1,000 migrants are apprehended daily.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 6 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants have fled the country.

A Venezuelan migrant, overcome with emotion, held on to her family as she walked toward Border Patrol.

"I feel as though I've been reborn," she told CNN, in Spanish.

Authorities can turn back migrants under a Trump-era pandemic rule, known as Title 42, but it doesn't apply to everyone. The public health authority allows border officials to swiftly expel migrants to Mexico, but there are limits on which nationalities can be turned back.

That, coupled with frosty relations with countries like Venezuela and Cuba, keeps the US from removing certain people, meaning they might be released while going through immigration proceedings.

The Yuma sector has tried to adjust to manage the increasing flow of people.

"We continue to evolve with technology and resources not only for our agents, but also for the overall mission, the form of surveillance systems. And then we continue to add to the processing and the humane care of the migrants in custody -- wraparound medical services, food contracts to make sure that we've got plenty of food and to be able to take care of those in custody," Clem said.

Border authorities are working closely with Mexico as well as using technology, like cameras, ground sensors and surveillance equipment, to monitor flows, Clem added, calling the situation "dynamic."

"An agent from Yuma Station can start off in the Imperial Sand Dunes. Next thing you know, they're jumping on the boat in the Colorado River pulling somebody out who may be drowning. And then responding to 200 people from all over the world," Clem said, describing shifts for agents in his sector where the ongoing flow of people has taken a toll.

A challenge for the Biden administration


The flow of people north presents a steep challenge for President Joe Biden, making it a top issue discussed this week between him and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

"Addressing migration is a hemispheric challenge, a commitment captured in the Los Angeles declaration adopted by the Summit of the Americas," Biden said, referring to a document that was signed on to by 20 Western Hemisphere nations, and later adding that migration is at "historic levels" throughout the region.

Administration officials have been monitoring the increased movement of migrants in the region for months. Many migrants who are journeying north worked informal jobs before the Covid-19 pandemic and were especially vulnerable to falling into extreme poverty as economies tightened, while others are fleeing violence and political instability.

Migrants often pass through a perilous jungle, known as the Darién Gap, which spans Panama's and Colombia's borders, in their journey to the US.

Between January and July 11, 56,175 migrants have crossed through the Darién Gap, according to the Panamanian government. Since February, the number of migrants passing through have increased, figures show. The first 11 days of July have already surpassed the entire month of April.

Isai Flores, a migrant from Venezuela, told CNN he had traversed the Darién Gap jungle on his way to the US, calling it "horrible." Flores cited worsening conditions in his country as his reason for leaving.

As he prepared to turn himself in to Border Patrol, Flores told CNN he finally felt freedom.

The US has sought assistance from Panama, as well as its neighbor Costa Rica, where migrants also travel through. An agreement between the US and Costa Rica outlines broad commitments to strengthen enforcement, exchange information on flows and stabilize host communities, according to text reviewed by CNN.

The document states, for example, that the US and Costa Rica will "explore options" to strengthen the Professional Migration Police and the Border Police of Costa Rica, "integrate technologies that facilitate the exchange of information on migratory flows, in accordance with the laws of each participant," and develop information campaigns. But it doesn't provide further specifics on the execution of those measures.

But those efforts take time. And the political pushback over the handling of the border has been swift.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation at the end of June to shore up funds for border security, following an announcement in May to bus migrants apprehended at the Yuma-Mexico border to Washington, DC. Twenty-five buses have departed Yuma with a total of 942 migrants as of Monday, according to the governor's office.

'We haven't seen these numbers since the Haitian migrant crisis'


The changing demographics of who's arriving have also strained resources along the Texas-Mexico border.

The Del Rio sector, located along the Texas-Mexico border, is facing record-breaking numbers, according to a US Customs and Border Protection official.

Over 24 hours this week, around 2,200 migrants were apprehended across the Del Rio sector, almost 1,000 more apprehensions than the Rio Grande Valley during that same time, the official said.

"We haven't seen these numbers since the Haitian migrant crisis," the official told CNN, referring to last September when thousands of migrants -- primarily Haitians -- gathered under the Del Rio International Bridge.

On Tuesday, one group apprehended totaled about 500 people, the official added, describing the total arrests as a "high-water mark" for the sector. For days, the sector has been grappling with three to five large groups, defined as 100 or more people, turning themselves in to Border Patrol daily.

This week, in a signal of the growing number of arrivals, CBP announced the opening of a new facility in Eagle Pass, Texas, to process migrants. The new facility replaces a smaller structure, according to CBP, and has a capacity of 1,000.

Migrants are crossing during the day and often have to wait hours in triple-digit heat to be processed and transported via buses to the station. They're usually from Cuba and Venezuela, nationalities that are not subject to Title 42. There has also been an influx of Nicaraguans and Colombians.

"We're doing everything we can to stop that from happening," the official told CNN, referring to a repeat of last September. "That's always a concern."

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanaTimes
Close
0:00
0:00
The G-7 aims to make global crypto regulations tougher
Russia arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges
Don’t Dismiss China’s Peacemaking Bid
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
Nashville style execution
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
AMERICA, 2023
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Nashville Police release bodycam footage showing officers neutralizing trans shooter of Christian school
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Singapore’s Prime Minister says China and US need to stabilize relations because world can't afford a confict between the two superpowers
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Drew Barrymore
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
Silicon Valley Bank: Struggles Threaten Tech Startup Ecosystem"
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
×