The arrest of Colombians trying to enter the United States across the southern border with Mexico has broken records again and is already at its highest point in history.
This week, the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CPB) presented figures for the month of May documenting the detention of at least 19,040 Colombians who either turned themselves in to seek asylum or were captured when They were trying to pass illegally.
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That number is by far the largest recorded since such measurements have existed.
The previous record had been reached in March when the CPB reported 15,374 cases. That is, the statistics for May represent an increase of 25 percent in relation to that mark.
But to put into context how big the new figures are, throughout fiscal year 2021, 10,450 people were arrested. In other words, In May 2022 alone, there were almost twice as many arrests of Colombian migrants as throughout the entire previous year.
Although the trend was already on the upside, it erupted earlier this year. Between January and February arrests doubled, from 4,330 to 10,059; then, it jumped to 15,374 cases in March.
Although there was a slight decrease in April (13,087), this was offset by the 19,040 cases in May.
The other interesting fact in the CPB statistics is that Colombians are already in fifth place in the table of arrests by nationality, very close to Hondurans (19,490) and Guatemalans (21,382). The table is headed by Mexicans, with 76,887, and Cubans, with 25,348.
Although there is no concrete explanation for the massive exodus of Colombians to the US, there are several reasons that would be driving migration.
Among them, the economic hardships that the covid-19 pandemic has caused in the country and the absence of a visa requirement to enter Mexico, a country where Colombians arrive by plane or by land and then try to cross the southern border. .
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Likewise, there would be a perception that with the arrival of Democrat Joe Biden to the presidency, many of the restrictions imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump, to curb immigration would be eliminated.
The belief is wrong, because in these first 16 months since Biden’s arrival in the White House, more immigrants have been expelled from the country than throughout the four years that the Republican was in the Oval Office.
The idea that Biden would put an end to the so-called Title 42, a policy created by the Trump administration and that allows immigrants to be expelled expressly -without the guarantees offered by the regular asylum system- has also contributed, alleging that in the country there is a health emergency caused by the pandemic.
Biden did indeed try to end politics. but a federal judge blocked his intentions and therefore Title 42 has remained in force while the lawsuit takes its course in the country’s courts.
In March of this year, and given the large number of migrants who were arriving at its doors, Washington signed an agreement with Colombia so that the latter country would receive nationals expelled through Title 42.
Since then, the US has carried out more than 55 flights to expel some 5,000 Colombians.
This figure represents less than 10 percent of the migrants arrested since January (approximately 62,000) in the United States. However, authorities hope the actions will deter those who plan to immigrate to the United States illegally.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
Correspondent of EL TIEMPO
Washington
On Twitter @sergom68
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