Data on the arrests carried out by the Border Patrol during the month of January 2023 were recently published. A 40% reduction in flows is observed, compared to the previous month, and it is the lowest figure since February 2023. 2021. However, the context in which this happens must be analyzed before drawing hasty conclusions.
The opening of humanitarian visas, first for Venezuelans and then for Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans, has been accompanied by significant threats to migrants of said nationalities who try to enter the United States illegally, which is why their arrival in the United States has decreased. neighboring country to the north. Additionally, these nationalities were added to the provisions of Title 42, which until October 2022 applied only to Central Americans and Mexicans, so that now migrants from eight different countries can be deported to Mexico expeditiously. More than 2.7 million people have been returned under this figure. These days, various media outlets reported that the US government is evaluating the possibility of deporting non-Mexican migrants to Mexico. Despite the fact that President Biden denied that this is his strategy, hard data and reality tell us another story.
There have also been effects on the mental health of migrants, derived both from deportations via Title 42, and from the launch of the recent App for CBP One. The latter was supposedly established so that those migrants who met the requirements for eventual asylum or refuge in the United States could, despite having been returned to Mexico under Title 42, have an appointment to have their cases reviewed by the authorities. US authorities. But the reality is that various obstacles have arisen. Appointments have sold out fast; there have been technological problems or they have not received confirmation by mail, having to start the process all over again, among others.
Finally, it is very positive that Mexico, through a statement from the Foreign Ministry, is speaking out against the reinstatement of stay in mexico, a program that the US authorities have already implemented on two occasions with the authorization of our country and under which more than 74,000 refugee applicants in the United States waited for their long processes and asylum applications, on the Mexican side. More than 80% suffered some type of abuse and many ended up returning to the danger from which they were fleeing, staying in Mexico or going through with a trafficker. This program has followed a tortuous path in US courts; Biden promised to end it during the first 100 days of his term and did, but a federal court forced him to reinstate it and finally, by a vote of 5 to 4, the Supreme Court allowed the policy to end. However, due to administrative matters, the case returned to the federal court of Texas, an instance that ordered the federal government of that country to reinstate the inhumane program at the end of December 2022. As Judge Roberts, president of the Supreme Court, entrusting this to the Biden Government means that it must negotiate with Mexico, since said program cannot be carried out without the help of our country, which we hope will not give in this time.
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