The Calexico City Council unanimously declared a state of emergency last month due to the large influx of migrants coming across the Southern border. The declaration is aimed at shoring up state and federal funds to aid the migrants who are being released from custody.
Like many border towns, Calexico is overwhelmed by the volume of migrants ending up on their streets with nowhere to go.
Some residents who spoke with NPR are hopeful that a new policy announced by the Biden administration will improve matters, but some city officials are skeptical.
“Ninety percent of the migrants - 90% - are able to just get on their way with some kind of transportation service,” Vice Mayor Raul Urena told NPR. “But the other 10%, there has been instances where these people have had to sleep on the street.”
As of late December, local shelters in Calexico were above capacity, according to KYMA.
Last week, President Biden unveiled a set of initiatives aimed at expanding legal pathways to citizenship, while discouraging unlawful crossings. The new policy includes:
- Increasing expedited removals for those who enter illegally
- Expanding the parole process for Venezuelans to Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans
- Tripling the number of refugees from Latin American and Caribbean countries during Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024
- Launching an online appointment portal to reduce overcrowding and wait times at ports of entry
- Increasing resources and expanding efforts to manage the border, disrupt criminal smuggling, and support communities receiving migrants; this includes increasing funding for border cities and those cities receiving an influx of migrants
Urena worries about the migrants who will be expedited for return to Mexico “where people there are going to then again be in danger, ripe for human trafficking, all those things that we want to avoid.” But his small city can only do so much.
Gavin Newsom visited Calexico last month to survey the situation. Read about his visit here.