Mexican NGO urges migrants not to cross into US to avoid deportation crisis

Tijuana – Frustrated with new immigration policies that restrict asylum applications, the groups Sin Nation and the Tijuana Immigrant Coalition are trying to persuade migrants not to cross the Mexico-U.S. border irregularly and risk being deported.

Representatives of the groups said they were seeking a truce and threatened to demonstrate at U.S. consulates and set up communications blockades at border crossings if they disagree with measures to expel migrants from other countries to Mexico.

“It has not happened yet, but if we start seeing large numbers of deportees, we will protest, we will block their checkpoints, we will not wait, on the contrary, we will close them down. We can’t let them create a crisis for us here, we will also demonstrate at the consulates,” warned Sergio Tamai, director of the group “Country of Sin”.

However, he noted that the first step is to seek a truce until July 4, with the groups joining together to tell migrants not to cross the border to avoid being harmed.

He recalled that the day after the daily limit of 1,500 arrivals was reached, authorities on the other side of the northern border with Mexico would begin deportations.

The activist called for alternative solutions such as the CBP-ONE application, which he said reduces irregular immigration of migrants altogether.

He noted that the migrants “are peaceful people who want a legal path and if they are given the facility, they will do so.”

He stressed that such measures encourage immigrants to adopt other types of irregular entry methods, such as climbing over the wall.

Tamai said his first goal is to get to less than 1,500 border crossings within 10 days to see if U.S. President Joe Biden abides by his rule of not deporting people within that range.

The activist also advocated that Mexico continue its policies to help immigrants with residency and work procedures.

They asked for shelter resources

Tamai also criticized that the return of deportees is a challenge for shelters and social organizations because they have no government resources and are mainly managed by private donations.

“Here we can take care of the migrants, it is not a problem because we are brothers, but if they do not provide support to the shelter, what resources will we have to take care of them,” he said.

(dynamic)