Haitian illegal immigrants trying to cross into the United States border into an isolated Texas town were chased by horseback agents. Haitian migrants are appealing to President Joe Biden not deport them as three planes of migrants arrive in Haiti on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security announced that they moved about 2,000 migrants from an encampment beneath a bridge in Del Rio to other locations for processing and possible removal from the US.
The new plan will have up to 400 more Border Patrol agents and officers in the area by Monday morning. If necessary they’ll send more. The U.S. plans on sending five to eight flights out per day beginning Sunday but could vary depending on operational capacity and Haiti’s willingness- or not -to accept these flights.
The sudden appearance of Haitians in Del Rio, a town with 35K people roughly 145 miles west of San Antonio has caused an unexpected problem for border security. The U.S., in an effort to stem the influx of Haitian refugees, has blocked entry for migrants at its Mexican border where thousands have crossed and set up camp.
There were about a dozen Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles lined up near the bridge and river, where Haitian illegal immigrants had been crossing from Ciudad Acuña Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas for three weeks. Yellow police tape was being used to block them from using an old dam that leads into America. The officer on the Mexican side of the border said that migrants will not be allowed to cross anymore as reporters witnessed Haitian immigrants continuing their journey into Mexico.
Three flights of Haitians taken from Del Rio were sent back to their homeland on Sunday. The number is expected to reach at least six per day, with the first plane leaving San Antonio and arriving in Port-au-Prince (Haiti’s capital).
Migrants are not deterred by the U.S plans to speedily send them back, and they will continue in hopes of achieving their goal: escaping poverty, hunger, or a feeling of hopelessness at their home country.
Jorge Luis Mora Castillo, a 48-year old from Cuba who has lived in Paraguay for four years and planned to head north into the U.S., arrived Saturday at Acuña with his family where he said they paid smugglers $12K USD so that their journey might be easier. The United States’ message of discouraging immigration has not changed the mind of migrant Castillo. he said: “Because to go back to Cuba is to die”
“We are all looking for a better life.” Junior Jean, a 32-year-old man from Haiti, said.
Donald Trump on Sunday criticized the White House for its lack of leadership in stemming a migrant wave at the southern border, which is why Customs and Border Protection has been encountering more than 1 million illegal crossers since Biden took office. “The largest number of illegal aliens in the history of our Country are pouring in by the millions. They are totally unchecked and unvetted, can do whatever they want, and go wherever they want,” The former president said.
“Our country is rapidly becoming a cesspool of humanity. Murderers, drug dealers, and criminals of all shapes and sizes are a big part of this massive migration. Tens of thousands of people are coming from Haiti, and many now from countries in Africa, even more so now than South America. Nothing is done and the corrupt Mainstream Media is giving almost no attention to what will be perhaps the greatest Crisis in the history of our Country. This is not just a Border Crisis, this is a Crisis Crisis. God Bless America!’ he added.
In addition to accelerating the rate of removal flights, DHS is also prompting Customs and Border Protection to increase manpower and improve conditions for those at camps along our border.
Migrant crossings went down instead of increased. In July there were 213,534 encounters compared to 208,887 last month after Biden became the President.
After finding out about the U.S. plans for removal, Some of the migrants said that they will stay and remain seeking asylum. The recent earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse have left many people feeling unsafe to return home. ‘In Haiti, there is no security. The country is in a political crisis.” saFabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived with his wife and two daughters.
For several years now, Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers from South America. Many had to leave their country after the 2010 earthquake. The jobs dried up and many decided it was time for them to flee, so they started making dangerous treks by foot or bus through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle into America.
The U.S Customs and Border Protection agency announced Friday that the only international border crossing between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuña would be temporarily closed until further notice to respond urgently to safety needs due to increased security concerns. Travelers are being redirected indefinitely at another nearby location approximately 55 miles away called Eagle Pass.
Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano said that there were 14,534 immigrants under the bridge with tents and makeshift shelters. Haitian migrants bathe and do laundry in the river.
The Border Patrol in Del Rio is currently overwhelmed by the number of Haitian arrivals about two-and-a-half weeks ago. The acting sector chief, Robert Garcia has sent a request for help from headquarters.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been transferring Haitians in buses and vans to other Border Patrol facilities. They are mostly processed outside the pandemic-related authority, meaning they can claim asylum while their claims are considered by U.S Immigration & Customs Enforcement. However, 20 days is the maximum amount of time families can be held under court order.
The fate of the Haitian people lies in their hands. They must decide if they want to stay and risk being deported back into an impoverished homeland or return to Mexico while exempting unaccompanied children.
The Department of Homeland Security said, “Our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey. Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion. Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities and to the lives of migrants themselves, and should not be attempted.”
The United States has been put under intense pressure following Biden’s decision to block Trump administration policies that are claimed by many as cruel or inhumane, most notably one requiring asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while waiting for U.S. immigration court hearings.
A pandemic-related order that was introduced in March 2020 which is to immediately expel migrants without giving them the opportunity to seek asylum is still in effect. But for some reason, unaccompanied children and many families have been exempt.
The U.S government should process migrants and allow them to apply for asylum, not rush to expel them according to Nicole Phillips legal director of Haitian Bridge Alliance. “It really is a humanitarian crisis, there needs to be a lot of help there now.”
Mexican immigration officials announced that they opened a “permanent dialogue” with Haitian representatives to address the situation of irregular migratory flows during their entry and transit through Mexico as well as when assisting them in returning home. The agency didn’t specify if it referred to the Haitians in Ciudad Acuña or the thousands of others in Tapachula, at the Guatemalan border.
The number of people attempting to enter the United States illegally has been on an upward trend. In August, U.S authorities stopped almost 209,000 migrants at the border which was close to what many people predicted as being a 20-year high.
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