A penultimate dive into the immigration issue before the 20J
There is much to share on this subject just hours before the inauguration of Donald Trump, in his resounding return to the White House. A close relative, in Mexico City since the end of the year, speaks to me with a heavy heart after it is already a given that the incoming Republican administration will shut down the immigration program facilitated by the CBP One™ mobile application. Through it, more than 936,500 individuals obtained appointments to appear orderly at selected ports of entry along the U.S. southwest border, mostly from Venezuela, Cuba, and Mexico. Those who took this government-encouraged way to cross into America enjoyed a streamlined process within the convoluted U.S. immigration system. Now, truth be told, it was always a long shot to arrive in Mexico at this time in hopes of receiving the blessing of a CBP One-powered appointment, given the random nature of the allocation process—a sort of lottery that many have been waiting months for—and the anti-immigrant drums beating loudly in Washington. Another immigration program that allowed 531,690 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to arrive by air—even flying directly from their countries—to the United States and obtain a 2-year long humanitarian parole will also see its sad end written in stone next week, although in practice the Biden administration itself shut it down weeks—if not months—ago.
Soon-to-be officials, and Trump himself, have at least partially confirmed some reports of raids to be conducted in Chicago, New York, and Miami to arrest undocumented immigrants with active deportation orders. Sometimes it is not clear whether priority would be given to those with criminal records, which are those who in my opinion could fit into the “criminals” category that Trump uses when he talks about this issue. Does a person who lost his or her asylum case, has an active removal order, but is still on U.S. soil falls into that category? Tom Homan, the so-called Trump's “border czar,” said Saturday that “[every] target for this operation is well-planned, and the whole team will be out there for officers' safety reasons.” He added that in sanctuary cities, authorities will ideally assist in the federal effort, but they will move forward with their agenda “with or without their help.”
The Senate advances a migrant detention bill that could be Donald Trump’s first law to signhttps://t.co/aXzYyWgTBh
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) January 18, 2025
Pregnant migrants making their way toward the US are finding crucial prenatal support from a network of volunteer midwives across Mexico pic.twitter.com/sb9vlm58gF
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 15, 2025
A New York Times poll reviewed by EFE found that support for Trump's immigration strategy enjoys greater support than during his first term, with more than 50% of Americans backing his plan for mass deportations in general, while 9 in 10 support deportations of immigrants with criminal records, and 2 in 3 of those who entered irregularly with Biden in the White House. Meanwhile, to the south, President Claudia Sheinbaum is trying to coordinate efforts in the region to deal with the political tsunami of Trump sitting at the Resolute desk again. The Morenista leader made a call to “all the governments of Central and South America so that [migrants who are potentially deported] are cared for in their place of origin[,] and that they can have access to employment, to a safe, dignified and fair life [there] to avoid migration,” but it is a request that falls far short of the reality of Latin America, between the infrastructural problems—integrally speaking—of our societies, the chronic mismanagement of governments—regardless of ideological bias—, and the lack of a sound, well-focused foreign aid—Mexico has committed to do "something" on its part, although without offering details.
At the same time, anxiety and uneasiness are taking hold of migrants on the way, such as a Honduran woman who is in Tapachula with her three daughters, after having been extorted in Guatemala. Crossing into Mexico cost her $250, arranged to cover the rafting across the border Suchiate River and then by road to a shelter in Tapachula, Chiapas state, she told AFP agency. “Organized crime has taken over” the migration crisis business, a local parish priest denounced. The fearsome Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels are the ones battling in blood and fire for control of the border with Guatemala. The latter dynamic leads migrants like my referred close relative to seek an alternative—also through criminal networks—to reach the capital, getting as far away as possible from the troubled state of Chiapas. This although the Biden administration enabled access to CBP One both from there and from Tabasco. The accumulation of stress and bad experiences can be even greater when it comes to South American migrants who have crossed the Darién Gap, an inhospitable natural border opening the doors to Central America, a step that some try to secure by paying $1,800, on pain of being extorted and harassed.
The migrants on the frontline of Trump’s mass deportation plan https://t.co/APvfneCr9d
— Reuters Venezuela (@ReutersVzla) January 16, 2025
From LA wildfires to hurricanes, immigrants help rebuild after disasters. Some may face deportation.https://t.co/NBe3WsslN4
— AP Climate (@AP_Climate) January 18, 2025
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
