The ongoing migrant crisis is becoming more prominent and it is time the U.S. government begins to administer policies to assist such migrants. The situation has gotten worse in Texas as more than 14,000 Haitian migrants huddled under the Del Rio International Bridge awaiting processing by border authorities.
Among them lay “crushed plastic bottles, diapers, chicken bones, and food containers.” Many of these migrants used cardboard materials as beds. The conditions in which these migrants are living is a call for action.
The migrant crisis has begun to impact the city of Del Rio, Texas. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection had to close the bridge forcing many locals to find alternate routes in order to meet their cross-border necessities. These actions only serve as a disruption to the lives of the 36,000 residents of the bicultural city. Local police and jails are becoming overwhelmed with migrant cases. An estimated 20-40 arrests of migrants are being made daily, pushing the capacity limits of facilities to the max.
News outlets such as the New York Times have labeled the city a “political battleground” as locals take to the streets to protest and demand better governmental policies. The city does not have the money to help these migrants. The situation has gotten incredibly concerning with one local, Jose Rodriquez, stating how “now it feels like the end of the world.”
The protestors have a point when it comes to addressing the failure of the Biden administration to address the migrant crisis. Their simple solution is sending Haitian migrants back to their home countries or sending them back to Mexico. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) went as far as to clear out the camp located in Del Rio. No specific number has been released by the DHS that gives a clear picture of how my migrants were deported.
More advocacy needs to be done for these migrants. Many of these people are here seeking asylum, such as Haitian migrant Nicol. Nicol struggled economically and traveled originally to Chile where he continued to struggle to find full-time work. After his future wife became pregnant, he decided to start the journey to Del Rio in hopes of seeking asylum. Just like many other migrants, he chose the small border because he heard it was the safest route. His journey was not easy. Along the way, he had to endure hardships such as seeing fellow migrants being swept away by a river and seeing a migrant woman being raped by an armed gang in Panama.
What is there left to do? The government needs to better equip camps to take care of these migrants. We can not have 14,000 migrants sleeping under the bridge with no adequate shelter, food, and water. These facilities already established by the government, need to be provided the funding to be able to help as many migrants as possible. The government also needs to stop deporting these migrants and instead better the seeking asylum process. Or simply funding organizations dedicated to helping migrants who are seeking asylum. Organizations like Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition Center are dedicated to helping migrants in Del Rio and would benefit immensely from more contributions or funding from the government.
These migrants have little to no voices and need more advocacy. While they are on American soil, the government should be working in great capacities to help these migrants.
