Dispatch: Desperate rush to reach US border as end of Section 42 restrictions looms

Migrants attempt to enter the United States via the Rio Grande as seen from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Photo: ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP

In a purple fluffy blanket inside a carry-on suitcase, an infant rises above his father's head as he makes his way through the Rio Grande to reach US soil.

The family is among the dozens of children. thousands of migrants rush to the Mexican border hours before Donald Trump's strict immigration policy is lifted.

Passed at the start of the pandemic, Section 42 allowed the Republican administration to use public health policy to deport asylum seekers without a hearing.

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Its removal means applicants will again be allowed to stay in the country while their application is being processed, which could take years.

But many fear that the restrictions imposed by the White House will be even more punitive and rob them of their chances for a life free from violence and corruption.

A baby is passed between people as migrants make their way into the Rio Grande Photo: Getty

Lety Ramos decided to flee Honduras with her husband and four children after her brother was killed by the brutal Maras gang four months ago. back.

She clutches a photo of his bloody body, ready to show the immigration officers why they had no choice but to flee their country for safety.

Walks the last mile to the border with her husband José and youngest son Austin, 12, who carries the tent, said officials ordered them to surrender.

“We are so happy to be here now, we are worried that it will become much more difficult. for us [after the expiration of the 42nd title] and everything becomes unknown,” she told The Telegraph. On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people fleeing violence, corruption and poverty took shelter from fierce dust storms and high winds on the way from Ciudad -Juarez in El Paso, Texas.

Amid crickets and high-speed traffic, migrants used T-shirts to protect themselves from suffocating dust as they ran down a steep river bank over a makeshift bridge made of wooden pallets and stones . Then they slipped through a hole in the barbed wire fence and lined up in an orderly queue, waiting to be processed by the border guards.

Migrant points to Texas National Guard standing behind barbed wire Photo: Getty

Some made grueling 10-month journeys to escape persecution . Others, arriving closer to midnight, took a short flight from Colombia to take advantage of the political turmoil.

Earlier this week, thousands of asylum seekers were seen sleeping on the streets near a church in the Texas border town, waiting to be processed. To clear the overloaded facilities, border agents began releasing migrants with instructions to face trial within 60 days to three years.

Migrants are trying to enter the United States through the Rio Grande, which is fortified with a barbed wire fence. Photo: ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP

While Section 42 gives officials the power to quickly deport asylum seekers, it also removes the penalty for attempting illegal entry into the country. During the three years of its existence, the number of people who repeatedly cross the border, despite the fact that they were expelled, has increased. Its replacement, Section 8, will restore fees and possible jail terms for illegal entry.

Up to 13,000 migrants are estimated to pass through the borders each day after it is lifted on Thursday night.

Mayors of the Texas border cities of El Paso and Brownsville have declared a state of emergency after thousands of migrants have arrived in the cities in recent weeks.

As the White House struggles to bring the situation under control, President Biden dispatched 4,000 officials. — 1,500 active duty troops will join 2,500 National Guard troops to support the border troops.

A lack of understanding of what a political upheaval would mean, and the success stories of those already in the US, have prompted many migrants to try to get into the country before things change.

Meanwhile, under the new rules , asylum seekers must make an appointment via the phone app, but there are only up to 1,000 appointments per day and many cannot access the site.

Migrants queue up waiting to be processed by the US Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP

The number of migrants from countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti has skyrocketed as migrants flee poverty, violence and political unrest.

Diliam Jeremias, 25, arrived with his family 15 days ago after an eight-year break. A month's journey from Venezuela. On Wednesday, he, his wife Melania and their three-year-old daughter were in El Paso and had documents allowing them to remain in the US until the trial. They were waiting for the last $20 to hit the road to meet family in Denver.

He said, “We hope, in the name of God, that everything is all right. We are so happy because when they remove Section 42 it will be harder for us to stay and we are afraid of being deported back to Venezuela.»

Venezuelan immigrants take shelter during a dust storm at a makeshift immigrant camp located between the Rio Grande and the United States. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Alan Lizarraga, Border Network of Human Rights, said Title 42 is «a soft version of Title 8.»

He told the Telegraph, «It sends you back to Mexico, but it's not on your file.»

Mr. Lizarraga said officials told migrants to give up, promising «we'll find a route for you.»

He said that although some people returned with notices to appear in court, allowing them to stay in the country, others were not successful.

“We don’t know what selection principles they use, but not everyone gets permission to stay here” .

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