Migrants rush to the US Mexico border before Trump's taking office

Migrants rush to the US Mexico border before Trump's taking office

When Altagracia left Honduras to take the months to the US Mexican border, she had two clear goals in mind: to reach the United States to apply for asylum and to unite with her children living there. After departure from her hometown Siguatepeque in the central high countries of Honduras, however, she learned that Donald Trump had won the US elections and threatened with an intensified immigration policy-one that feared her could reduce her chances of arrival in the USA after an almost three-month journey through Central America and Mexico.

The fear of Trump's presidency

In December, Altagracia spoke from a shelter in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca and explained that she runs against the time to reach the US border to Mexico before Trump's inauguration on January 20. "We were told that, once he is in office, Trump will not let us go in," said the 39-year-old on the phone with CNN. Altagracia belongs to several migrants with whom CNN spoke and who want to reach the US Mexican border before Trump's return to the White House.

her concerns, she explained to Trump's rhetoric regarding masses Deportation Closure of the border. "On the first day on which I am back in the Oval Office, I will sign a historical series of executive regulations to close our border for illegal immigrants and stop the invasion of our country," said Trump at the end of December at an event of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona. "On the same day we will start the greatest deportation operation in American history," added Trump with the cheers of those present.

The challenges on the trip

Altagracia stated that they had fled out of her hometown in October after several members of her family were killed by local gangs and they had received death threats. She is currently traveling with relatives and is afraid that setbacks will delay their arrival at the border. "We were attacked by cartels, now we have no money for food. We are now dependent on the help of activists, accommodations and good people," she said. It is not only with her concern about a Trump presidency.

"" I heard that Trump will close the border on the first day and carry out deportations, but I'm worried, but I'm more afraid to stay in my country. I hope I arrive in time, "said a migrant from Venezuela, who did not want to be identified. "Everyone wants to arrive before [Trump]," added another migrant from Cuba. "I hope Trump understands that many of us have any conclusions that could benefit the United States, he said.

optimism despite uncertainty

Some migrants are more optimistic about a Trump presidency. Adriana Robles, a 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant, believes that the information about Trump is "distorted" and hopes that he will "do the right thing". "Sometimes information is not true, they are distorted [...] I believe in God and have the belief that he [Trump] will make the right decision and help the good people with dreams. We know that bad people have entered the USA, but he will distinguish the good ones from the bad," she said in conversation with CNN from Heehuetán, a city in the southern Mexican state of Chiapa. Robles fled for political and economic reasons for Venezuela. "The Venezuelan economy is not going well, it is unstable and we have no human rights," she said.

The effects of migration

The migrant numbers at the US-Mexican border remain at the lowest according to the data of the US-Zoll and Border Protection Authority (CBP) Stand since 2020. The numbers have been severely felled according to measures that the acting US President Joe biden in summer.

in November, when Trump won the choice, the CBP recorded around 46,000 border contacts, the lowest number in almost five years. However, what the data does not show is what influence, if available, Trump's threats on the decisions of the migrants to make their way to the border.

Mexico's answer to the challenges

In November, shortly after Trump threatened to impose a 25% Zöllen If the country does not take illegal immigration and cross -border drug crime, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum indicated that her country is already doing enough by "supporting" migrant caravans within its borders. "They are supported on the way, they will be guided, they are even given the opportunity to work on the go," said Sheinbaum on January 3. and added that many migrants decide to return to their countries of origin, "while they go". CNN asked Mexican officials for a detailed explanation.

Since then, Mexico has what it has as the greatest fentanyl drainage in the history of the country Described, carried out and confiscated by a ton of the synthetic opioid in two raids in the state of Sinaloa, which is troubled by cartels.

look into the future

"There is not much that the Mexican or Central American governments can do to prevent Trump's mass deportations," explained Correa. "Trump does not seem to play with his massive deportation plan, at least for a short time." The US government should learn its "obligation to never send people back in danger without at least checking them", not outsourced, especially not to "dangerous countries that have no fully functional asylum systems".

Back in her shelter in Oaxaca, Altagracia says that she only wants to "tell my story to the US immigration authorities". "We run 14 hours tonight, we do it at night to escape the heat," she said before ending the conversation. Despite their challenges and fears, the migrants with whom CNN spoke stated that they intend to reach the border. "There is no time to give up," said Adriana. "We have to go on."