Migrants flock across Mexican border before rules tighten up
Nestled in a purple fluffy blanket inside a carry-on suitcase, a baby is hoisted above her father’s head as he wades through the Rio Grande to reach US soil.
The family is among tens of thousands of migrants racing to the Mexican border hours before Donald Trump’s strict immigration policy is lifted. Brought in at the start of the pandemic, Title 42 allowed the Republican administration to use public health policy to deport asylum seekers without a hearing.
Its removal means applicants will once again be allowed to stay in the country while their claim is processed, which can take years.
But many fear restrictions being brought in by the White House will be even more punitive and scupper their chances of a life away from violence and corruption.
Leti Ramos decided to flee Honduras with her husband and four children after her brother was murdered by the Maras gang four months ago.
She clutches a picture of his bloody body, ready to show immigration officers why they had no choice but to flee their country in search of safety.
Walking the last mile to the border with her husband, Jose, and youngest son, Austin, 12, she said: “We are so glad to be here now, we worry it will become much more difficult for us [once Title 42 expires] and everything becomes unknown.”
On Wednesday night, hundreds of people sheltered from dust storms and high winds as they made the journey from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas, where they slipped through a hole in a barbed wire fence to form an orderly queue while waiting to be processed.
Earlier this week, thousands of asylum seekers were seen sleeping on the streets near a church in the Texan border city as they awaited processing.
To clear out overwhelmed facilities, Border Patrol agents began releasing migrants with instructions to appear
‘We hope everything will be OK – we’re terrified to be deported back to Venezuela’
before the court, with dates given ranging from 60 days to three years.
While Title 42 gave officials power to swiftly deport asylum seekers, it also suspended the penalties for trying to enter the country illegally. In the three years it was in place, there was an increase in people repeatedly crossing the border despite being expelled. Its replacement, Title 8, will reinstate fees and possible prison sentences for illegal entries. It is estimated up to 13,000 migrants will flow through the borders each day after title 42 was lifted last night.
Mayors in Texas border cities El Paso and Brownsville declared a state of emergency after thousands of migrants arrived over recent weeks.
As the White House scrambles to take control of the situation, President Joe Biden has sent an additional 1,500 troops to join 2,500 members of the National Guard at the border.
Confusion over what the change in policy will mean and the success stories of those already on US soil have motivated many migrants to try to get into the country sooner rather than later. Those seeking asylum now must make a booking through a phone app, but there are only up to 1,000 appointments a day and many have struggled to access the site.
The numbers of migrants from countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti have skyrocketed.
Diliam Jeremias, 25, arrived in El Paso with his family 15 days ago after an eight-month journey from Venezuela. On Wednesday he, his wife Melania and their three-year-old daughter were told they could remain in the US until their court appearance. They plan to stay with family in Denver until then. He said: “We hope in the name of God everything is OK. When they remove Title 42 it will be more difficult for us to stay, and we are terrified to be deported back to Venezuela.”
Alan Lizarraga, of Border Network of Human Rights, said Title 42 is the “soft version of Title 8”, adding: “It sends you back to Mexico, but it doesn’t appear on your record.”
While some people have come back with notices to appear in court, allowing them to stay in the country, others haven’t been successful.
“We don’t know what kind of selection guidelines they are using, but not everyone’s getting the permit to stay here,” Mr Lizarraga said.