The lessons of the southern border after the end of Title 42

Almost a year ago we wrote in this space that with Title 42 or without it, immigrants would continue to risk everything to fulfill their mission of reaching the United States. And although once the implementation of the sanitary measure was completed on May 11, the chaos that some feared and others predicted to take political advantage of the issue has not occurred, migrants continue to try to arrive.

In other words, it is a natural and logical displacement that everyone should now accept as a reality, not only continental, but worldwide, which is due to fundamentally economic circumstances, but also to situations of violence, persecution or climatic damage. In such a way that a measure like Title 42, the National Guard at the border or anti-immigrant groups vociferating their xenophobic rhetoric will not be insurmountable obstacles for those who seek refuge and protection, both for themselves and for their families.

But the relative order that has been witnessed so far on the southern border may be due to many factors. One of the main ones is that in the same way that misinformation about “open” borders spreads like wildfire, the same thing happens with the news that this strip is not open, and that entering without doing so through legal mechanisms entails severe penalties, including immediate deportation if asylum seekers cannot prove credible fear. That is why many have preferred to resort to the CBP One application to make an appointment to request asylum, with everything and its flaws.

It is enough for life to begin to normalize on the most active border on the planet to see new arrival routes, even more dangerous, as a kind of migratory ritual that is repeated all the time, much to the spite of the political game in the Legislative power that has not been able to give an answer to the urgent need to compose an immigration system exceeded a long time ago.

In addition, the present situation has shown many things, among others, that the border has a life of its own, with or without Title 42; that our immigration system is, in effect, broken and obsolete, to the point that the most powerful nation on the planet does not have the capacity or, in any case, does not want to have the capacity to have the facilities and personnel required to process serious and exhaustive way to those who have risked their lives to get to this point.

On the other hand, what the press reports, especially in Spanish, about full shelters, on the one hand, and detention centers, on the other, is to horrify anyone. It is also clear that the way the government has handled this situation, with severe restrictions on asylum laws, is intended to discourage others from trying to get there.

A Colombian migrant who crossed the border with his family hoping to request asylum, tells a true horror story about his experience after being detained and later deported to Colombia. The migrant, Felipe, claims that they were never given the opportunity to present their case.

“In my head, American culture was different. I thought that they took care of the children, the women, and at no time was that reflected in those detention centers. If that is the front door, I cannot imagine the xenophobia that must be experienced in other cities. Really, before the world this is very serious. It is a global superpower bypassing the whole world in an impressive way. This terrifies me, I can't get over it," Felipe said.

With examples like Felipe's, and many more, it is quite obvious that this is not the best time for immigrants; or, in other words, it is not the best time to be poor and in need of everything, especially for migrants of color. Spot. It is also obvious that the dominant economic system that governs the world needs a deep adjustment; But for that to happen, the United States and the rest of the powerful nations also need an adjustment of values ​​and principles, which unfortunately will not happen in this generation, if we take into account what is happening right now in the area of ​​immigration throughout the world. the continent and the perverse politicking involved, between those who demonize the migrant and those who promise without fulfilling.

In other words, the latest events after the end of Title 42 offer us the usual panorama, with a United States government putting out fires here and there without ever tackling the real reasons that have led us to this point. Among others, the lack of really effective programs that address the problems that exist in the countries that send the most migrants.

There have also been many regional initiatives that do not go beyond the attempt. And, what is already known, the lack of an immigration reform that addresses all the needs: a number of work visas that cover the economic needs of labor in various sectors; to expedite the process of petitions for relatives, since in the long wait many choose to come without proper documents; an adjustment of the asylum laws, in tune with the needs; and the development of initiatives that recognize that migratory flows will continue to occur under Title 8 or whatever the circumstances, and that this should be seen as an opportunity and not as a crisis that must always be solved with a heavy hand.