Introduction to the U.S.-Mexico Border Transformation
The U.S.-Mexico border has undergone significant changes due to Trump’s immigration and tariff policies. Juan Ortíz, an activist, has been leaving water bottles for migrants in the desert near El Paso, but he has noticed a drastic decrease in the number of migrants attempting to cross the border. The border crossings began falling during the final months of President Biden’s term and have plunged to their lowest levels in decades under President Trump.
The Impact of Immigration Policies
Trump’s immigration crackdown, including a total ban on asylum, mass deportation campaign, and militarization of the border, has altered life in the borderlands surrounding El Paso. The shelters in Ciudad Juárez, once filled with migrants, are now largely empty. Maikold Zapata, a 22-year-old Venezuelan, had been living in El Paso but decided to leave the U.S. due to the fear of being arrested and deported. He abandoned his asylum claim and plans to return to South America.
The Effect on Migrants and Shelters
The number of migrants coming to the Albergue Vida shelter in Juárez has plummeted in recent months. Pastor Francisco Gonzalez Palacios, who runs the shelter, advises migrants to rethink their goals and consider staying in Mexico. However, other Trump policies, such as tariffs on goods from Mexico, are hurting the economy in the region, limiting opportunities for migrants. Eddy Lalvay, a 17-year-old from Ecuador, was detained by Mexican authorities and sent to a government shelter for minors. His nephew, Gael, remains in custody, and authorities say they will only release him to a parent or grandparent.
Economic Uncertainty in the Region
The tariff uncertainty has stunned industry in the Juárez area, with factories laying off thousands of workers. María Teresa Delgado Zarate, vice president of INDEX Juárez, a trade group, said that about 308,000 workers are employed in factories today, down from 340,000 a few years ago. Mexican Juan Bustos, 52, recently lost his assembly line job making auto parts and now lines up outside factories that say they are hiring.
Militarization of the Border
The Pentagon has deployed some 9,000 active-duty troops to the border as part of Trump’s directive to expand the military’s role in reducing migrant crossings. Migrants who enter the new "national defense" zones while crossing the border are being detained by U.S. troops, charged with trespassing, and turned over to immigration authorities. U-2 spy planes have been flying missions in the skies, and a new 5,000-bed immigrant detention camp is being constructed at the nearby Army base of Ft. Bliss.
The Human Impact
Ortíz, the activist, used to traverse the part of the border that has been turned into a national defense zone, leaving water for the migrants who crossed. But he was stopped by Border Patrol agents who warned him he was trespassing on military land. The buildup of troops at the border and Trump’s changes to the asylum system have made it nearly impossible for migrants to cross. In June, there were fewer Border Patrol encounters with migrants than in any month on record, according to the White House.
Conclusion
The U.S.-Mexico border has been transformed by Trump’s immigration and tariff policies. The number of migrants attempting to cross the border has decreased significantly, and the shelters in Ciudad Juárez are largely empty. However, the economic uncertainty in the region and the militarization of the border have had a devastating impact on the lives of migrants and locals. Ortíz believes that migration levels can’t stay this low forever, and those most desperate to cross will find a way, probably by paying smugglers larger sums and taking riskier routes.
FAQs
- What has been the impact of Trump’s immigration policies on the U.S.-Mexico border?
The number of migrants attempting to cross the border has decreased significantly, and the shelters in Ciudad Juárez are largely empty. - How have the tariff policies affected the economy in the region?
The tariff uncertainty has stunned industry in the Juárez area, with factories laying off thousands of workers. - What is the role of the military in the border region?
The Pentagon has deployed some 9,000 active-duty troops to the border as part of Trump’s directive to expand the military’s role in reducing migrant crossings. - What is the human impact of the militarization of the border?
The buildup of troops at the border and Trump’s changes to the asylum system have made it nearly impossible for migrants to cross, and those most desperate to cross will find a way, probably by paying smugglers larger sums and taking riskier routes. - What is the future of migration in the region?
Ortíz believes that migration levels can’t stay this low forever, and there are too many jobs that need filling north of the border, and too much poverty and strife south of it.
