‘Stay in Mexico’ policy in effect as U.S.-Mexico border crossings hit record numbers

Yuma, Arizona. – the Policy “Remain in Mexico” is officially in place on December 6 as the number of people crossing the US-Mexico border once again hits record numbers.

Hundreds of migrants approaching the Yuma County border daily were reported, and on December 6, FOX 9 spoke with the arriving migrants.

“We want to be on North American soil,” said one immigrant. “We are fleeing (from) danger in our country, we are afraid for our lives.”

Around 1,300 migrants were spotted near the Morelos dam in a single day. Recently, sightings of migrants in the area averaged around 750 each day.

More than 1,500 migrants crossed the border illegally on Monday, overwhelming Border Patrol agents in the Yuma area, the Yuma Sun reported. Several large groups regrouped on the American side and waited to be apprehended to file asylum applications. The majority of migrants come from Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela, the newspaper reported.

The most recent statistics that US Customs and Border Protection reports on its website show that as of last October, authorities encountered more than 21,623 migrants in the Yuma sector. This is an increase of more than 2,600% compared to October 2020.

This puts Yuma in third place for most encounters of any area in the Southwest, just below Del Rio and the Rio Grande Valley, which made national headlines this year after thousands of migrants have crossed their borders.

Looking at the numbers all over the southwest border, they’re up as well.

Migrant encounters more than doubled in October compared to last year, with nearly 165,000 encounters.

Ducey responds to border concerns, lambastes Biden administration

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey voiced his concerns on Twitter, saying “Yuma faces a worsening humanitarian and border crisis.” He went on to say that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris needed to “step up and deliver action from the federal government.”

The governor visited the Yuma border on December 7, saying more needed to be done.

“The border is wide open and it’s not protected,” he noted.

He announced a repositioning of Arizona public safety resources to deal with the border crisis in Yuma.

“We have an ongoing crisis at the border. It has been escalated by the recent antics of the Biden administration. We call on the administration to care about what is happening,” Ducey said, blaming President Biden for the flare-up. .

In October, there were more than 160,000 migrants at the southern border, an increase of 128% compared to October 2020.

“The Drug Cartel [is] take full advantage of these people and rush to get them across the border,” he said.

The Biden administration this week reinstated former President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, with some changes, allowing migrants to be picked up in the United States and wait in Mexico for their hearings in the United States court of immigration.

Ducey blamed the Biden administration for gradually reinstating former President Donald Trump’s policies. Last week, the administration reluctantly announced its intention to reinstate Trump-era policy and agreed to Mexico’s terms for resuming it.

The reinstated policy began Monday in El Paso, Texas. Ducey said the piecemeal implementation led to migrants rushing to other parts of the border and crossing into the United States before the policy was rolled out more widely.

The governor said the Arizona National Guard will send a helicopter, six vehicles, four all-terrain vehicles and 24 personnel to assist law enforcement.

Border Patrol warns migrants

Officers warn migrants not to make the dangerous journey.

A statement was released by US Customs and Border Protection, saying:

“Unscrupulous smugglers continue to exploit vulnerable migrants. CBP’s message is clear: Our borders are not open. People should not make the dangerous journey. Yuma Sector and our CBP partners are working quickly to screen and treating those they encounter.Local non-governmental organizations provide basic needs for migrants still waiting to be taken into custody along the border.

DHS continues to deport migrants under CDC Title 42 authority. Those who cannot be deported under Title 42 and who have no legal basis to stay are placed in expedited or full removal proceedings. CBP will continue to treat all migrants with dignity and respect as we process them.”

What is the “Remain in Mexico” policy?

The Biden administration has reached a deal with Mexico to restore a Trump-era border policy that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. immigration court hearings, U.S. officials said.

The relaunch of the “Stay in Mexico” policy falls under a court order even as the administration maneuvers to end it in a way that survives legal scrutiny. President Joe Biden scrapped the policy, but a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri forced him to reinstate it.

The policy will begin in El Paso, Texas, sending migrants to Juarez, Mexico. It will then expand to other cities in the coming days, including San Diego, Calexico, Nogales, Eagle Pass, Laredo and Brownsville.

The relaunch of the “Stay in Mexico” policy comes even as the Biden administration maneuvers to end it in a way that survives legal scrutiny. Biden dropped the policy on his first day in office, but a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri forced him to reinstate it, subject to Mexico’s acceptance.

Illegal border crossings fell sharply after Mexico, faced with Trump’s threat of higher tariffs, acquiesced in 2019 to the policy’s rapid expansion. Asylum seekers faced major violence while waiting in Mexico and faced a host of legal hurdles, such as accessing lawyers and case information.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki last week called the policy “deeply flawed” but said the administration was working to implement it in accordance with the court order.

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