TLDR: Migrant asylum encampment conditions worsen in Northern Mexico as migrants are forced to wait for CBP One appointments among other “legal walls” that they are subjected to. On the other hand, there is a proposed Bipartisan Immigration Reform bill introduced by Representative Salazar and sponsored by Representative Escobar. Texas Impact has partnered with the American Business Immigration Coalition to hold an informational webinar on this bill and other solutions. The webinar will be held July 17th at 6pm CDT. Register at this link here.
Border Conditions Worsen After the End of Title 42
“Approximately 104,000 migrants are amassed in northern Mexico overall, according to U.S. government figures.” In this previous blog post, I detailed the “legal walls” implemented after the end of Title 42, such as CBP One app, the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule, and Title 8 proceedings. These “legal walls” are essentially keeping migrants trapped in precarious conditions along Northern Mexico especially when coupled with extreme heat. “Tens of thousands of people waiting in dangerous Mexican border towns to snag a spot on the app, according to U.S. and Mexican officials, and warnings from humanitarian groups of deteriorating sanitary conditions at migrant camps.”
Living in makeshift encampments with no electricity, running water, or access to food is inhumane. This is what migrants are forced to endure while they desperately keep trying to book a CBP One app appointment for an opportunity to be processed into the U.S. by immigration officials. Processing migrants at the Southern border efficiently and effectively requires infrastructure that helps maintain their –God given dignity– focused on solutions instead of merely deterrence.
Proposed Comprehensive Bipartisan Immigration Reform
There is a new opportunity for comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform, the kind which we haven’t seen in over a decade. U.S. Congress has started to take some initial steps to potentially pass much needed immigration reform. On May 23, 2023 Representative Salazar, a republican from Florida introduced in the House of Representatives the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023. The DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2023 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by two members of Congress, Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) among other representatives. Representative Salazar indicated that the bill is intended to follow the “biblical principles of Dignity and Redemption.”
Representatives Escobar and Salazar propose solutions for long-term immigrants that the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) states are “long overdue.” That is why we are partnering with ABIC to host a webinar on July 17th at 6pm CDT to discuss the significance of the Dignity Act and the impact it could have from a business-labor workforce perspective.
The situation is dire in Texas, and if there was ever a time to take action it is now. Please register for our webinar to learn more about this necessary immigration reform and future opportunities to get involved, there is no time to waste. Register at this link here.