Thousands of Venezuelan migrants have saturated Mexico’s border with the United States, particularly the Juarez-El Paso border, where an average of 660 a day have crossed the Rio Grande in the last week, according to data from the Border Patrol.
The massive crossing of people began a week ago, on Saturday, September 10, just the day the Extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) came into effect in the United States for migrants from Venezuela, a policy to protect them from deportations and obtain work permits.
Venezuelans crossing from Ciudad Juárez to El Paso, Texas, line up to await attention from the authorities of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who have improvised a processing center under the bridge. Santa Fe International Airport, next to the border wall.
With this massive influx of people, local associations fear a new humanitarian crisis in Ciudad Juárez, where people like Norma Elizaria arrive in groups of dozens of migrants.
«I come with 26 people from my family, we are divided, some are already arriving in Ciudad Juárez. We are looking for a better economic and health opportunity. For me, Venezuela is the prettiest and most beautiful country, but the economic situation we have with the president (Nicolás Maduro) is difficult,” the woman told Efe.
Given the saturation in the shelters, in the El Paso region some install tents or mattresses, as well as portable toilets outside the bus station.
Dozens of other undocumented immigrants sleep in a makeshift camp set up by the authorities under the elevated highway in El Paso.
One more challenge is food, since the US authorities only give them water, so there are those who go to Ciudad Juárez to buy food and return to El Paso again.
Or, there is a group of Mexican children who cross at night to buy food for money.
long journeys
The situation on the border has worsened since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it will extend the validity of TPS permits to Venezuelans, but this applies to those who were already protected in the United States. .
Even so, Andy Rojas left Venezuela 30 days ago and is now waiting for an opportunity after crossing Mexico, where he has faced mistreatment from the immigration authorities, according to what he denounced.
«I come with a co-worker and I want to be able to work in the United States. In Mexico, many people have been extorted, we have to run the police, “he told Efe.
Others do not come from Venezuela, but also want an opportunity, like the Ecuadorian Bruno Salazar.
«The journey was dangerous, I passed through Panama, I thank God that I am here. It was complicated and hard, I had to flee because of crime and insecurity. Do not be surprised if you see more Ecuadorians here », he recounted.
“I try to cross here, because some friends crossed last week and they are letting people pass free,” he added.
Fernando García, director and founder of the Border Network for Human Rights, warned that “it is clear” that there is a crisis because there is no “infrastructure to receive migrants,” but asked not to see it as a problem of insecurity.
“El Paso is one of the safest cities in the United States, the problem is when we say that migration is a public security problem, we immediately classify them as criminals who come to do harm,” he told Efe.
Expectation in Juarez
Father Javier Calvillo, director of the Casa del Migrante in Ciudad Juárez, explained to Efe that “the Venezuelan brothers have permission from Migration to be able to cross freely in Mexico for seven or up to ten days.”
“Until now we don’t have people from that country in the shelter, they are of other nationalities, including Mexicans, in addition to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala,” he said..
However, there is expectation because as of next Friday the exceptions of Title 42, which allows migrants from the United States to be deported immediately due to the pandemic, will be suspended until further notice in the Juárez-El Paso border region.
In addition, appointments for families that previously had a date of entry into the United States will be null and void.
This, according to directors of different shelters, could once again put the city in check due to lack of infrastructure to accommodate them.
This episode is one more reflection of the record migratory flow that the region is experiencing towards the United States, where the CBP has intercepted more than 1.82 million people so far in fiscal year 2022, which began last October.