Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting violent conflict, an estimated 3 million Ukrainians have fled their neighboring countries, creating the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. As world leaders and global humanitarian organizations have turned their focus on Ukraine’s western border–and reasonably so–I have just returned from leading four participants as part of our Courts & Ports program to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis at the US’s southern border where there have been over 4 million attempted undocumented crossings by migrants from 2019-2022.
The Ukrainian crisis is a global tragedy and one that merits international relief and intervention, however, with the world hyper-focused on the issue of migration it would be remiss not to bring the ongoing migration crisis at our own border into view as well.
Though much has changed in the past four years, the border situation can still be categorically characterized as chaotic and volatile. As our federal processing facilities are overwhelmed by large waves of migrants from mostly Central America, US and Texas policies continue to fail to address the issue in concrete measures other than through deportations and border blockages. As a result thousands of migrants remain on the Mexican border without proper facilitations, vulnerable to abuses by organized crime and local authorities.
As part of Texas Impact’s Courts & Ports program we bear witness to the humanitarian crisis at our border by working with our local nonprofit partners in the Rio Grande Valley and by traveling to ports of entry in the area. Usually, the program visits the international bridges that lead to Matamoros (across from Brownsville, TX) and Reynosa (across from McAllen, TX). However, after hearing the concern from our local partners, like Presbyterian pastor Ezequiel Herrera, about the level of violence in Reynosa, we were forced to change our plans. “Drug cartels fighting for the territory and violence just erupt unannounced. Thus, I prefer to forgo Reynosa this time around due to safety concerns.” Ezequiel told me via text.
Tent encampments continue to exist in the city that is essentially run by cartels, leaving the migrants stuck between an unwelcoming border and a locality that abuses rather than supports them. It is important to note that there are still nonprofits and individuals that continue to work in Reynosa despite personal risk, like Sister Norma of Catholic Charities and Angry Tias, but the situation remains dire as thousands are left exposed to weather, disease and violence.
However, in contrast to the heightened situation in Reynosa we were glad to see progress in Matamoros and Brownsville. Matamoros looks a lot different now than it did in 2019 when national news sources were covering the massive tent encampments of migrants stuck in limbo. Since then, a collective of nonprofit organizations including Team Brownsville, Angry Tias, and Asociación Ayudándoles A Triunfar A.C have stepped up to help provide some immediate relief. The recent addition of larger groups like Doctors Without Borders and the United Nations have really started to make a difference, says our local partner Glady Aguilar of Asociación Ayudándoles A Triunfar A.C. Now there are no longer tent camps, rather the majority of the migrant populations are in temporary apartments that provide more secure and sanitary conditions. While the situation is better than before, Glady Aguilar has made it clear that things are still desperate. More migrants are constantly being coerced by coyotes (professional smugglers) across Central America to try their luck in the US or to escape the violence and poverty at home. However, few are told of the gruesome reality they will have to endure to get to the US. Nonprofits do what they can to help provide food and medical care, however, the situation is not sustainable and is currently only being mitigated, not holistically addressed.
On the other side of Matamoros, we also bore witness to the city of Brownsville stepping up as an ally in migrant care. Texas government, state and local, as a whole has left dealing with the migrant crisis to nonprofits, however, in Brownsville there was a response that was both impressive and inspiring. Nonprofits like Team Brownsville and Good Neighbor Settlement House work with the city to help give migrants who have been processed by ICE and CBP to transport them to their sponsor (someone in the US who says they can stay with them for the time being). Border patrol will deliver buses full of migrants to a parking garage at the border where the city of Brownsville tests the migrants for COVID, offers them vaccines and helps them book a plane or bus ticket to their sponsor. Once they are all booked they are sent to Good Neighbor Settlement House to receive a meal and instructions on how to navigate the next steps of their process. They are then given to Team Brownsville who gives them more supplies if they have them and gets them on their buses to their next destination. While this doesn’t address the root causes of mass migration to the US or help change policies, it does highlight how the collaboration of a community can really make the difference in providing relief to populations most in need.
The Ukrainian crisis highlights that our future is going to contain more global migration, not less for a variety of reasons. As we all pray for Ukraine, we must continue to also address migratory issues at home here in the US.