Key facts
- Migrant shelters along Mexico's northern border are emptying.
- Fewer migrants are heading to the United States due to President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Migrant shelters along Mexico's northern border are emptying as fewer migrants head to the United States following President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and mass deportation campaign. Policies have made legal migration routes more difficult to access, leading some migrants to abandon plans to cross into the U.S. and instead settle in Mexican border cities.
The decrease in migrant flows to the U.S. border and the emptying of shelters indicate a significant impact of U.S. immigration policies on migrant decision-making and regional demographics. This shift may lead to increased settlement in Mexican border cities and alter the dynamics of migration patterns.
Migrant shelters along Mexico's northern border are experiencing a significant drop in occupancy as fewer individuals attempt to cross into the United States. This trend is attributed to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and policies that have made legal migration routes more difficult to access.
Salome Villena, an Ecuadorean migrant, stated that her family's intention to cross into the U.S. was thwarted by Trump's actions. They considered using a smuggler but abandoned the idea after experiencing attempted theft. The closure of the CBP One app, which allowed asylum seekers to schedule appointments, has left many migrants stranded in border cities like Ciudad Juarez.
Juan Fierro, head of the Good Samaritan shelter, noted that it has become increasingly challenging for migrants to reach Mexico's northern border and enter the U.S. This shift has led some migrants to settle in Ciudad Juarez instead of continuing their journey. Dirvan Garcia of Coespo, the state population council, reported that budget cuts and a decline in migrant arrivals have reduced the number of shelters in their network by nearly half, to 18, with occupancy rates around 15%. The remaining residents are primarily Mexicans displaced by violence, along with migrants from Venezuela, Colombia, and Central America.