The city of El Paso, in the state of Texas, leads the shipment of immigrants arriving through the southern border, to other cities in the United States, at the same time that the policy of Republican Governor Greg Abbott is being implemented, which seeks to nationalize a situation that affects especially to border states.
“It was done purely for a political agenda, and it was done without prior notice to the receiving cities and communities,” he denounced before the voice of america the expert of the Migration Policy Institute, Muzaffar Chisti.
Regarding the new facilities, Chisti explained that El Paso and other communities are now offering bus transportation “because they believe it is the right thing to do for immigrants, who need a place where they can go and stay and get basic accommodation.”
The plan led by Governor Abbott has achieved sending more than 12,000 migrants to cities with democratic governments. Figures released by the Democratic government of El Paso indicate that that Texas city alone transports 126 people every day, so that in the course of the year, this city alone has sent 11,197 people to Chicago and New York, both by plane, in bus, train like other means.
Local government in El Paso created welcome centers that to date they have received more than 16,000 migrants, but it is not enough and these people turn to independent organizations such as the Rescue Mission.
“At first it was a bit overwhelming and it was difficult to figure out how we would manage […] we use our chapel and our library for overflow,” he told the VOA Nicole Reulet, spokeswoman for the organization. “So we provide shelter, we also provide advice, we have a registered nurse on our staff, so she saw a lot of the migrants and a lot of the migrant children and was able to treat some of the injuries that they had.”
Rescue Mission currently hosts 185 people, of whom around 45 are migrants.
Deadly balance of immigrants
The Republicans have repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policy since he took office in January 2021, accusing him of softening the measures imposed by his predecessor Donald Turmp.
The White House has reiterated that “the border is not open”warning of the dangers faced by migrants on the journey from their countries in search of “the American dream” and are forced to travel through the well-known el Darien Gap that covers the Colombian-Panamanian border or the Arizona Desert, in the USA.
Immigrants do not give up their efforts.
Although there is no definitive figure, authorities and organizations from Mexico and the United States report more deaths among migrants trying to cross the southern border.
The International Organization for Migration described the land border between Mexico and the United States as the deadliest in the world.
“This fiscal year 2022, which ended on the last day of September, records the highest number of deaths,” he told the VOA José Luis Pérez Canchola, member of the Mexican Academy of Human Rights, who indicates that there are at least 750 people who have died when trying to cross that border, although he clarifies that others are never located.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency has not published the number of deaths for 2022, but acknowledges the increase. Ideaspace, an American non-governmental organization, estimates that there are more than 800 dead.
The NGO attributes this increase to a migration policy that pushes people to more dangerous areas.
“Is it working to discourage migration? and the answer is no,” she told the VOA DW Gibson, researcher at Ideaspace.com.
In 2021, the Border Patrol apprehended more than 2 million people on the southern border and reported more than 20,000 search and rescue operations.
* With information from VOA journalists, Laura Sepúlveda, from Austin, USA; and Vicente Calderón from Tijuana, Mexico.
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