Immobile and Vulnerable: Migrants at Mexico's Southern Border at the Outset of Covid-19
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REPORT 08.14.20 Immobile and Vulnerable: Migrants at Mexico’s Southern Border at the Outset of Covid-19 Luis Alfredo Arriola Vega, Ph.D., Researcher, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur–Campeche Enrique Coraza de los Santos, Ph.D., Researcher, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur–Tapachula of the pandemic on human mobility; it can INTRODUCTION also help us understand the response in the Covid-19 is changing the dynamics of human migrants’ countries of origin, and the Mexican mobility.1 Indeed, all over the world human government’s response to the migrants’ mobility has been disrupted. One such presence and predicament. The paper disruption is related to the arrival in Mexico concludes with policy recommendations on of unauthorized migrants, asylum seekers, ways the governments of the United States, and others (e.g., deportees from the U.S. Mexico, and Central American countries can to Mexico) who find themselves stranded address the plight of stranded migrants, who along their journey. Migrants from various have fewer and fewer places to turn for help. As a case study, nations heading to the U.S. through Mexican Tapachula shows territory2 are facing increased difficulties in all the effects of COVID-19: TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, reaching their destination, whether they are BORDER CLOSURES, AND the pandemic on trying to make it across the border, to get human mobility; back home, or to seek regularized migration DEPORTATIONS status in their current location. Migrants who it can also help us As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, recently arrived in Mexico are experiencing travelers and migrants around the world understand the increased deprivation, including food found themselves stranded and unable to response in the scarcity, homelessness, poor sanitation, and complete their journeys. This happened migrants’ countries disease, and they are unable to find work because almost as soon as the viral because of the economic collapse caused by of origin, and the outbreak set off alarms around the world, the pandemic. Mexican government’s many governments announced border In a fluid context where circumstances closures, imposed travel restrictions, response to the change daily, this paper examines the grim banned arrivals from some countries or all migrants’ presence conditions faced by irregular migrants foreign nationals, and increased screening stranded in Mexico due to the Covid-19 and predicament. for anyone entering or exiting. pandemic, with attention to the area around the city of Tapachula, Chiapas, 55 miles The United States north of the Mexico-Guatemala border.3 Tapachula is a good case study for the plight Starting in March 2020, the U.S. government of stranded transmigrants, as it is often introduced changes to its immigration and the first stop for many who journey north asylum policies, announcing that it would through Central America and Mexico toward “expeditiously return aliens who cross the U.S., or south on their return home. As a between ports of entry or are otherwise not case study, Tapachula shows all the effects allowed to enter the country, as the facilities BAKER INSTITUTE REPORT // 08.14.20 in which these aliens would normally be The Trump administration’s coronavirus- held cannot support quarantine for the related migration restrictions—among the time needed to assess potential cases.”4 most stringent ever implemented—deny Furthermore, under the assumption that an equitable, just, and humane approach migrants, in particular new arrivals at the to immigration and, as a result, endanger U.S.-Mexico border, posed a health risk the well-being and safety of vulnerable to the country, immigration authorities populations, including unaccompanied imposed stricter provisions for entry into children. Delays in court hearings for asylum the U.S.5 These policies, guided by the seekers waiting in Mexico under the Migrant Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Protection Protocols (MPP) grew.12 These directive issued on March 20, 2020, under U.S. protocols, which went into effect without The Trump the authority of an obscure provision Mexico’s approval in January 2019, require administration’s of the 1944 Public Health Service Act, asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while coronavirus-related authorized the surgeon general to suspend they await an asylum hearing in the migration restrictions the “introduction of persons or property” United States. into the U.S. on public health grounds.6 deny an equitable, just, The order also raised concerns about the Guatemala and humane approach presence of Covid-19 at asylum camps and On March 20, 2020, Mexico’s government to immigration and, shelters along the border, and questioned agreed to receive Central Americans as a result, endanger Mexico’s slow response (travel restrictions, deported from the U.S. and to send them the well-being and public health measures) to the threat of the south through Mexico. However, this disease.7 By May 2020, the U.S. had banned safety of vulnerable raised issues at the Guatemala border: nonessential travel through the country’s Mexico bussed the migrants to Tabasco 8 populations, including land borders with Mexico and Canada. and Chiapas, but Guatemala had closed unaccompanied Not everyone agreed with this approach. its border. The migrants were barred children. Some public health experts responded by from moving through and were stranded urging the secretary of U.S. Department in various cities in southern Mexico. of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, Guatemala’s government went as far as and the director of the Centers for Disease blocking flights carrying deportees from the Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert R. U.S. “as a precautionary measure.”13 Redfield, to “withdraw—not extend or expand indefinitely—this policy and instead Mexico direct U.S. officials to use rational, evidence- based public health measures to safeguard In spite of Mexico’s policy of open borders, it both the health of the public and the lives of made no difference to migrants facing closed adults, families, and unaccompanied children borders in the U.S. and Guatemala. They seeking asylum and other protection.”9 still could not move either way. Moreover, The Trump administration, however, although Mexican and U.S. policies appeared moved ahead with restrictions on at odds on the issue of transmigrants, in cross-border mobility; paradoxically, it practice the differences were only minor. simultaneously pushed to reopen the For example, in April 2020, a judge in Mexico country’s economy. The administration ruled in favor of protections for migrants, continued using the pandemic to deny including health care for detainees, and migrants access to courts and to expedite mandated residence permits for those the deportation of migrants, including especially vulnerable to the disease—such unaccompanied children. Deportations thus as migrants over the age of 60 and those continued, with nearly 21,000 expulsions with a disability, chronic illness, or conditions carried out in March and April 2020 alone.10 that place them at higher risk of contracting 14 Meanwhile, asylum seekers were left waiting Covid-19. Instead of complying with the indefinitely at camps and shelters along the judge’s order, Mexico simply freed most border for an immigration court hearing, unauthorized migrants in detention, leaving becoming more vulnerable to the virus in them unprotected and on their own. Thus, the crowded and squalid living conditions.11 Mexico’s official discourse is less harsh than 2 IMMOBILE AND VULNERABLE: MIGRANTS AT MEXICO’S SOUTHERN BORDER AT THE OUTSET OF COVID-19 that of the U.S., but its policies are effectively that it would temporarily halt the in line with the U.S. government. processing of asylum requests to stop Interestingly, although Mexico’s federal the spread of the coronavirus.22 Migrants government chose not to close its borders, with pending hearings at INM also faced some communities did implement local difficulties, with multiple reports of the INM lockdown measures. Fearing the possibility turning people away without a hearing. of infection from the outside, these For example, a Cuban woman said that communities put up checkpoints preventing on April 14 she approached INM’s office the entry of unauthorized migrants. By early and noticed that people who showed up April 2020, a border resident reported to without an appointment were being turned authorities that a new clandestine border away instead of being given a future notice crossing on the Suchiate River, between to appear. She also complained about lack Guatemala and Mexico, had opened; the of information by INM’s staff. This woman, nearby port of entry at Tecun Umán- who had spent five months in Mexico Ciudad Hidalgo and previously established waiting for resolution on case, said she had unauthorized crossing points had been not received updates on her claim and did blocked off by locals.15 Foreseeably, not know what caused the delay.23 Like smugglers simply changed their routes as many others, her life was upended partly part of the shifting dynamics of migration in due to a sluggish bureaucracy, and was the context of the pandemic.16 made worse by the government stalemate Another issue stemming from the caused by the pandemic. Covid-19 emergency came from riots In sum, Mexico’s “open” border was involving unauthorized migrants held in effectively cancelled out by the United Mexico’s migration detention centers. States’ and Guatemala’s closed borders. Migrants argued that crowded and Migrants were stuck and unable to