The issue of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border is becoming a concern for the administration. Statistics of the Customs and Border Patrol reveal an increase of nearly 140% in the number of border-crossing attempts in November compared to October. The figures for November are less when compared to August and September. Of course, in November last year, there were far fewer crossings. Border Patrol agents say there has been a marginal increase in the category of individuals who attempted to cross, similarly for encounters with unaccompanied children.
In short, the number of border crossings in the fiscal year 2021 was around 1.7 million.
Daily Mail UK reports the strain on resources that come from trying to save the Americans from the threat of drugs. A caravan with more than 2,000 migrants was on its way to the United States. The mission of the Border Patrol is vital to the economic health of the country and its national security. Moreover, the authorities must ensure smooth travel, trade, and safety along the borders. They have an essential role in thwarting smugglers and those with a criminal bent of mind. The bottom line is to check the exploitation of vulnerable populations.
Migrants and the Biden administration
The Biden administration is worried about the migrants.
It had to resume the policy of former President Donald Trump. As per the policy, those who seek asylum should wait in Mexico while their claims are under process. The present administration wanted to end the policy, but the court overruled it. Daily Mail UK adds that the Biden administration had put on hold Trump's plan of completing the border wall.
However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is building the border wall in his state. He communicated this via Twitter and said: "Texas has officially started building its own border wall." In order to crack down on migration, the National Guard of Texas and its Department of Public Safety have placed physical hurdles on borderlines to block the entry of migrants.
These are items like steel shipping containers. Last month, Mexican authorities discovered 600 migrants hidden in two containers.
Resources stretched to the limit because of migrants
According to CNN, the U.S.-Mexico border has seen an upsurge of migrants in recent weeks. That has stretched resources to the limit. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection data reveal the arrest of nearly 22,000 people crossing the border in Yuma. This works out to a 1,200% increase from January and poses a challenge for the Biden administration. Most of these people appear to be from the middle class and are a pointer to Latin America's economic and political instability. As one of them, an attorney explained that he had never planned to migrate to the United States, but the political oppression in his home country Nicaragua left him no choice.
A few days back, a truck with migrants overturned in Mexico and killed 54 of them.
Coronavirus pandemic and the migrants
The coronavirus pandemic and deteriorating conditions in Central and South America have prompted people to move north. Authorities in South America have monitored the increased movement of migrants in the region for months.
Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute said: "On one hand, Covid and the accompanying recessions left many people in the Latin American middle class a lot worse off, and people who would not have considered migrating have decided it's a useful option." Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas advised migrants against putting their life savings in the hands of smugglers who do not hesitate to exploit their vulnerability.
