The news about the new immigration measures -including the deployment of the military- announced by the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, to curb a possible increase in irregular migration throughout his state, is a topic of conversation among the nearly 3,000 migrants who live in a makeshift camp in Reynosa, Mexico, and whose goal is to reach the United States.
As was found by the voice of americathe announcement generates concern about what may happen, but it does not make many give up, as is the case of Eduardo Díaz, a Honduran migrant.
“More risk in everything, going to longer places, and above all, it is more difficult for us to pass,” Díaz told the FLY.
While Salvador Atilio Joya Quintanilla, from El Salvador, asks President Joe Biden to help them and affirms that he will wait as long as it takes “to enter the United States to work.”
Many migrants are sure that after the end of Title 42on May 23, which authorized the immediate expulsion of undocumented migrants due to the pandemic, will have a free pass to enter US territory, despite the fact that US authorities they have insisted that the border will remain closed.
Texas border actions
Among some of the actions announced by Governor Abbott last week are plans to send migrants they detain crossing irregularly into his state directly to Washington DC on buses.
“We will send them to the United States Capitol, where the Biden Administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people they are allowing to cross our border,” Abbott explained in introducing the legislation.
At the end of last week it became known that Abbott is getting pressure of former Donald Trump Administration officials to declare an “invasion” and give state troops and members of the National Guard the authority to expel migrants.
So far, the governor has not revealed whether he supports the measure, but has announced that state police will begin stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles crossing the border, which he acknowledged would “drastically slow” vehicle traffic near ports of entry. US entry.
Abbott stated that inspection checkpoints will take place on Texas highways and will abide by the law. “But of course everyone always files a lawsuit,” he said, later ensuring he is prepared for a possible legal battle in court.
One year after launch of the Operative Lone Starthe efforts of the Texan agencies have allowed the detention of more than 225,000 migrants.
Many migrants believe that such operations are unfair because they criminalize them.
“They are treating us like a criminal and the truth is that one is not a criminal,” he explained to the FLY Eduardo Díaz, Honduran migrant. “They take away the opportunity of someone who wants to cross to the other side, not to do vandalism, but to work.”
Díaz is waiting in Reynosa, along with her young daughter, to be able to enter the United States and affirms that she will not return to her country because she believes that she could have a better future on North American soil.
more border security
Texas officials say they will begin “increased military activity” at the border in the coming days and install barbed wire in low waters along the river to deter migrants from crossing.
The orders further expand a multibillion-dollar border security mission in Texas, where thousands of soldiers and National Guardsmen have not only been deployed, but a new border barrier has been installed and immigrants have been jailed on trespassing charges.
Border Patrol officials say they expect as many as 18,000 daily arrivals once Title 42 expires.
What does the law say?
Under US law, people have the right to seek protection because they have suffered or fear persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
However, Luis Miranda, assistant commissioner of the Office of Customs and Border Protection of the United States (CBP for its acronym in English), stressed in statements to voice of america that asylum is not guaranteed and that this is a promise that human traffickers make to migrants to take their money.
“It’s not that you can’t ask for asylum, but asking for it and getting it are two different things,” he said.
Deportation is not ruled out under the law, since instead of Title 42, Title 8 will govern, under which people are quickly put into “removal proceedings, of deportation, when they cannot establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.” Miranda concluded.
* Adaptation for the web by Lenny Castro, a VOA journalist in San Francisco.
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