From TX to MA: Shifting Immigration Policies on the U.S.-Mexico Border
On October 12, 2022, the United States and Mexico announced a new agreement regarding the recent increases in Venezuelan migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The agreement, coined the “Remain in Mexico” policy, requires that any undocumented Venezuelan migrants entering the country must stay in Mexico while they wait to be legally admitted into the United States. This agreement comes after a harsh crack down the Trump administration implemented on immigration years prior. Although the Biden administration has been taking steps to expand the United States’s immigration and refugee policies since, it is still very difficult for these migrant populations that are fleeing political violence to enter the country.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration made it challenging for migrants escaping dire conditions in their home countries to enter the United States. Under Title 42, border patrols had the jurisdiction to reject and evict undocumented immigrants as they arrived at the Southern U.S.-Mexico border. According to Pew Research Center, over 80 percent of monthly migrant encounters at the border resulted in expulsion under Title 42. In addition, Trump drastically limited the cap on undocumented immigrants allowed into the country. Since then, the Biden administration has also justified undocumented immigrant expulsions at the border under Title 42 but to a lesser extent. They have also increased the amount of refugees allowed in yearly.
The Biden administration increased the refugee cap for the fiscal 2022 year to 125 thousand in a stark contrast to the Trump administration’s fifteen thousand. Many Republicans are protesting this expansion of migrant quotas and policy leniency. In a most recent and flagrant show of opposition, Florida Governor Robert DeSantis coordinated a political stunt involving Venezuelan immigrants. A group of fifty migrants were approached in San Antonio, Texas, by a woman named Perla. She offered them transportation to an obscure location where they would supposedly find comfortable housing, access to healthcare, and resources to enter the workforce. They were given a folder which held a couple of maps, and a false ad brochure promoting the benefits of the program.
The group of Venezuelans were hustled onto a flight. They had no clear idea of where they were going but were fueled by the hope that wherever they landed, a better life would be awaiting them. It was a shock both to them, and the residents of Martha’s Vineyard when they arrived on the tiny island off the coast of Massachusetts on September 14, 2022. The group was noticed to be wandering aimlessly around the island, prompting residents to notify island officials. The island had not been aware of or prepared for their arrival. Nonetheless, the community rallied together to provide shelter, food, and medical assistance to the families who were as confused as their hosts. For two days, the Martha’s Vineyard community center cared for the Venezuelan immigrants.
The stunt was meant to draw attention to the expansion of immigration policies headed by the Democrats. Republicans, like DeSantis, in charge of states more heavily affected by immigration felt as if they were not being considered in these policy changes. Robert DeSantis thought he could make a statement about the drawbacks of these changes by dropping the supposed ‘problem’ at the doorsteps of wealthy Democrat individuals, hence the choice of Martha’s Vineyard. DeSantis now faces several lawsuits condemning his actions for being hateful and xenophobic in nature. Florida recently allocated a large budget to an immigrant relocation program to mitigate the amount of undocumented residents in the state. DeSantis used this as justification for the relocation of the fifty Venezuelans to Martha’s Vineyard. However, the scheme was seen as an attack on Democrats for reversing some of Trump’s restrictive measures.
A few months later, the immigrants were found scattered throughout the state of Massachusetts. They possess certificates that should protect them from the possibility of deportation as they await legal verdicts about their status in the United States. They are allowed to apply for U-visas and are aided by pro bono immigration attorneys. DeSantis’s political scheme, which was supposed to pressure Democrats to be more strict with immigration policies, has allowed these particular immigrants to secure immigration protection and relief above several others who have been waiting for years and those who now must wait in Mexico to hear the verdict of their appeals for asylum.
With the implementation of the “Remain in Mexico” agreement, Venezuelans will be forced to stay in Mexico while they await legal entry into the United States. The policy is modeled after the Ukrainian humanitarian parole program which was developed in light of the Russia-Ukraine war. Venezuelans now fall under a special category of migrants in the U.S. allowing more of them to enter the country because of the extenuating circumstances that are causing them to move in such alarming numbers. Normally, migrants and refugees would have to prove the severity of their situation, as well as the persecution they have faced, to claim asylum and refugee benefits in the United States or already have a family member in residence to apply for a green card. Under the humanitarian parole system, however, Venezuelans only need to have a U.S. financial sponsor, pass a national security background check, and complete vaccinations to move on to the next stage of their legal integration. Even though this program prioritizes Venezuelan migrants, it only allows this for up to 24,000 migrants—the rest are now subject to the same wait times and legal processes as every other minority group that intends to immigrate to the United States.
Lately, the humanitarian parole system has helped migrants fleeing from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and most recently, Venezuela. But because it expedites the process for Venezuelans, it lengthens the process for others who are fleeing similarly dire circumstances in their home countries. Minority groups from Honduras, Haiti, Somalia, etc. seek the same refuge in the United States as the rest but are experiencing mounting complications and wait times as other migrants are prioritized. Still, the “Remain in Mexico” policy sheds a light on how even the more privileged groups of immigrants are being barred from entering the United States. The Biden administration could be taking more serious steps towards equalizing the playing field for all immigrants, giving them all the same level of access to opportunity and aid here in the United States.
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