United States in the face of a massive influx of migrants: "If you come illegally, you will be sent back"

The United States has decided to close its borders with the Del Rio region in south Texas in order to prevent the arrival of more Haitian immigrants on US soil. 

Along with this measure, Joe Biden's government has taken the decision to deport illegal immigrants who try to cross its borders to their countries of origin. "If you come to the United States illegally, you will be deported. Your journey will be unsuccessful, and you will have endangered your life and the lives of your family," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed during a press conference in Del Rio.

The border closure aims to avoid situations such as those that occurred after the massive crossing of more than 14,000 migrants in recent days. This large group of migrants, mostly of Haitian origin, managed to cross the border with the United States last Thursday and have now settled in a camp located on the border with Mexico, a situation that highlights the reality of the migration crisis.

On Sunday, the US government began the first deportations of dozens of Haitians who had been held at the border and began relocating the 14,000 people in the camp to other Texas cities, such as El Paso, according to Reuters.

In support of the border units, US Customs and Border Protection has deployed nearly 600 additional agents to the Del Rio area to expedite repatriations and control the entry of new migrants by reinforcing the main access points with officers on horseback, according to El País.

With the change of presidency, the United States' stance on illegal immigration continues along the path begun by former president Donald Trump. According to Marsha Espinosa, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, the government's priority is to "ensure that irregular migrants are detained, processed and removed quickly from the US".

According to data from the US Customs Office, the US authorities arrested 209,000 migrants during the month of August, 2% less than in July, figures that had not been seen since 2000. Under the pretext of the "Title 42" rule, an exception in the Health Care Act, the Biden administration has deported undocumented migrants and asylum seekers.

As in the past, the differences between Mexico and the US on migration issues have sparked debates in the wake of this new wave of immigration. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is demanding solutions from the US administration that do not just involve 'containment'.

During the Mexican leader's conference, he insisted on the proposal to create social programmes and employment aid in the countries of origin, with a commitment to job training and education. With this, López Obrador called on the US for budgetary collaboration to fulfil its objectives, as well as a greater offer of temporary work visas, affirming that "90,000 people could be kept in their countries of origin out of all those who emigrate due to lack of work".

Latin America Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra