Reporter's Note: The tide of migrants under the "Del Rio International Bridge" on the US-Mexico border is difficult to fall

Houston, 25 Sep (Xinhua) -- A reporter's note: The tide of migrants under the "Del Rio International Bridge" on the US-Mexico border is difficult to fall

Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Jianmei

On the 24th, the last group of migrants who crossed the border between the United States and Mexico and gathered in a temporary camp under a bridge in the small border town of Del Rio, Texas, left in vehicles transferred and resettled by the Us authorities. Judging from the photos taken by the Xinhua News Agency reporter at the scene, the adults had heavy faces and blank eyes, while a young girl who was held by her father in the crook of her arm did not know the difficulties of the world and showed an innocent smile when waiting to board the car.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Majorcas said at a news conference on the same day that the temporary camp under the Del Rio International Bridge was "emptied" on the same day, and the US government has returned about 2,000 migrants to Haiti by plane, and about 8,000 migrants have returned to Mexico on their own. Still, he said about 17,000 immigrants remain in the U.S., about 12,400 of whom will not be quickly deported and will await the outcome of an immigration court hearing their asylum applications.

The representative office of the International Organization for Migration in Mexico issued a press release on the 24th, saying that the current situation of Haitian migrants on the border between the United States and Mexico is "worrying" and is in a "very dangerous situation". The communiqué said that, given the current socio-economic and political situation in Haiti, the International Organization for Migration was seeking solutions for those migrants.

For more than a week, cross-border migrants, mostly from Haiti, have flocked to the clearing under the Del Rio International Bridge. At its peak, the makeshift camps gathered about 15,000 people in a single day, and the crowded and dirty environment, shortages of food and water supplies, and the blazing sun pose a direct humanitarian challenge.

Videos and pictures of U.S. border enforcement officers chasing and driving migrants with horse reins as they patrol on horseback on social media are in stark contrast to the Biden administration's commitment to dealing with immigration in a humane manner. US President Biden admitted on the 24th that these videos and pictures made the United States feel embarrassed and declared that he would punish those responsible.

Since the Biden administration took office in January, waves of migrants have been on the U.S.-Mexico border. In previous years, every summer, hot weather has increased the security risk of people crossing deserts and other areas to the U.S.-Mexico border, and the tide of immigration has automatically faded, but this year, it has been unusual, and the tide of immigration has continued to surge. So far, 1.32 million illegal immigrants have been arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border this year, the highest level in more than 20 years, the data shows.

Analysts here believe that in addition to the new crown epidemic, economic problems, Haiti and other factors such as the situation of immigrants, the surging tide of immigrants at the US-Mexico border is inseparable from the US party struggle and the fierce attacks of the two parties. The Biden administration, under pressure from the Democratic left, is caught up in a dilemma in dealing with the border immigration crisis; Republicans have repeatedly accused the Biden administration of "opening the border" and "incentivizing" illegal immigrants. Some U.S. border officials said that an important reason for the large-scale crossing of migrants into Del Rio was misleading by false information.

The Biden administration's response to the wave of immigration has been criticized on both sides. Republicans such as Texas Governor Albert and conservative media have criticized the Biden administration for inaction, its immigration policies that ignore border security, and "incentivize" more immigrants to venture across the border. Democrats and liberal media outlets have criticized the Biden administration's massive expulsion of Haitian immigrants amid political turmoil, natural disasters, and extreme poverty in Haiti. Daniel Fut, the US special envoy for Haiti, resigned on the 22nd, accusing the United States of "serious flaws" in its policy toward Haiti.

According to US media reports, the temporary migrant camp under the "Del Rio International Bridge" was immediately bulldozed after it was cleared on the 24th. But that doesn't mean the tide of immigration has come to an end. A municipal official told Xinhua news agency reporters on the same day that there are still migrants trying to enter the United States in Mexico, and in the future, the tide of migrants may once again pour into the town. (Participating reporters: Wu Hao, Zhu Yubo) (End)