US-Mexico immigration policy puts Venezuelan migrants at risk

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - With Latin America already struggling with a migration crisis, the US and Mexico recently introduced a series of measures without notice that have left thousands of Venezuelan migrants in limbo and under the persecution of both countries.

As a result, thousands of Venezuelans are now stranded in Mexico, staring at closed gates to the north.

Stuck at a bus station in Mexico City, 24-year-old Venezuelan Michelle Gutierrez lashed out against the new regulations imposed against Venezuelan migrants.

"We don't want to be here, and Mexico doesn't want us here either. Why do they put so many obstacles in our way? They are using us as a bargaining tool!" she said.

Venezuelan migrants transiting through Mexico were blindsided by the US and Mexican governments’ abrupt response to the migration crisis, some traveling for days and even weeks before the announcement.

Subsequently, thousands were left stranded at the expense of Mexican migration authorities and the army.

"When we came here, they had not yet passed the law. The decree was not yet in place. They had not yet talked about it. While we were detained for days, waiting for our papers to travel through Mexico, that's when they announced that they were not going to let any more Venezuelans pass through, since the law is only for Venezuelans," said Gutierrez.

The joint effort between the neighboring countries was effective. Migration authorities escorted by the Mexican army soon caught up with the Venezuelans, locking them up for days in deplorable conditions at migration centers.

"It is literally a jail. There were inmates next to us. The criminals were in another area but next to us. They threw us outside like dogs," narrated 19-year-old Jose, who, along with hundreds of other Venezuelans, was locked up in recent weeks in the Siglo XXI detention center in Chiapas state on Mexico's southeastern border with Guatemala.

On Sept. 18, Alejandro Velazquez left Venezuela to escape the poverty plaguing the country.

"I was motivated by (US) President (Joe) Biden's remarks that he accepted all of us as long as we work," he said.

By Oct. 8, however, Mexican authorities had locked him up in the Siglo XXI center, where immigration agents took away his official documents and cell phone, leaving him isolated.

"They violated my freedom to move freely, communicate with a lawyer and communicate with family members, which is essential for a migrant. Some people have not been able to talk to a lawyer for more than 20 days. They treat you as if you were a criminal," Velazquez added.

Velazquez, a law school teacher, recounted his confinement in deplorable conditions, describing a prison in complete neglect and overcrowded. He decried his unjustified imprisonment, since, in Mexico, irregular migration is not a crime but merely an administrative offense.

In some cases, immigration authorities in Mexico adopt the same punitive and predatory approach towards women and children, as 24-year-old Luisana, who managed to escape with her 3-year-old son from immigration officers in southeastern Mexico, recounted.

"I was running with my child in my arms asking for help while the police ran after me. I almost fell with my child. They didn't care that I had my baby in my arms," she said, holding her young son at Mexico City's northern bus station.

"They were chasing a five-year-old child as if he were a criminal. His mother was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that they had already taken her."

Many would find out at the time of their detention or even days later about the new program launched by the US government. Only 24,000 "eligible" Venezuelans forcibly traveling by plane will be allowed to enter US soil.

"Effective immediately," every Venezuelan national who attempts to cross the border by land will be apprehended and returned to Mexico.

In addition, the new program includes specific requirements such as rigorous background checks, complete vaccinations, and other public health requirements, and the need for a "supporter" -- for example, an individual lawfully living in the US who is capable of providing financial support.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans with irregular immigration status in the US will be immediately expelled by US authorities south of the border to Mexico.

To ensure the systematic barring of Venezuelans at the US southern border, the American government relies on Title 42, an anti-immigrant policy imposed by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 which empowers US immigration authorities to reject migrants and send them back to Mexico.

Following the US’ "remain in Mexico" migration policy, Mexican authorities currently offer political asylum to stranded Venezuelans.

Continuing their efforts to hamper irregular immigration into their territory, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Oct. 12 announced new measures effective only for Venezuelans.

According to Homeland Security, migration from Venezuela has grown exponentially in the last few years, with the department reporting an outstanding increase of 293% in encounters with Venezuelan nationals within the US border in the previous year.

According to US authorities, in August 2021, there were 6,301 encounters with Venezuelans on American soil. By August 2022, that figure had risen to 25,349. A month later, encounters with Venezuelans increased to 33,000.

Reportedly, around 20% of Venezuela's total population has left the country and is currently living as refugees.

As Venezuela continues to cope with pre-existing economic problems coupled with the current economic crisis driven partly by the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no surprise that migration flows from the Bolivarian republic have worsened in recent years.

While some point to the controversial regime of President Nicolas Maduro, other critics say that the economic sanctions imposed by Washington have only worsened conditions in the country, leaving Venezuela helpless to the ongoing crisis worldwide.

"The sanctions are brutal. They made the migration worse from the beginning. If the government does not sell oil, how does it generate money? That is what triggered all of this," said Velazquez.

In her report to the UN, human rights expert Alena Douhan explained that the sanctions have had a devastating effect on the country, hindering its ability to overcome the current economic challenges. ​​​​​​​

"Until (President Hugo) Chavez died, we were completely fine. Then Maduro came in, and they (Washington) wanted to remove him forcefully, and the sanctions started, and Americans are relentless. If you have your home and I have mine, I cannot impose the rules of my home on yours," said Velazquez. ​​​​​​​