Life-risking journey through Mexico to the US... Record-high number of Latin Americans caught for illegal entry

More than 2.38 million people annually from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, etc.
Illegal entries decrease after implementing 'Title 42' policy temporarily suspending refugee application rights

Venezuelan immigrants deported from the United States are resting on the banks of the Rio Grande River in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, near the U.S. border on the 17th (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The number of Latin Americans attempting to enter the United States illegally through Mexico has reached 2.38 million annually.

According to a report by the Associated Press on the 22nd (local time), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detected 2.38 million illegal entries along the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2022 fiscal year (October 1, 2021 ? September 30, 2022). This represents a 37% increase from the 1.73 million detections in the 2021 fiscal year and is more than double the highest number recorded during former President Donald Trump's administration in 2019. The sharp rise in these figures is attributed to the worsening economic and political situations in Latin American countries, the relative strength of the U.S. economy, and the impact of the Title 42 policy.

Last month, CBP recorded 227,547 enforcement actions, among which nearly 78,000 migrants came from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Compared to August, illegal entries in September increased by 33% for Venezuelans, 37% for Cubans, and 55% for Nicaraguans.

The background to these events lies in the U.S. 'Title 42' policy implemented in March 2020. Title 42 is a measure taken as part of COVID-19 prevention efforts, temporarily stripping detained refugees of their right to apply for asylum in the U.S. under U.S. and international law. However, due to deteriorating diplomatic relations, the U.S. was unable to immediately deport refugees from Venezuela and two other countries, resulting in a large-scale acceptance of these individuals in the U.S. Consequently, migration attempts risking their lives increased even from countries relatively distant from the U.S.

Given this situation, the number of enforcement actions last month against the four countries traditionally associated with high illegal entry rates into the U.S.?Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador?was 58,000, which is 20,000 fewer than those from the three countries including Venezuela.

However, such occurrences are not expected to continue. Since June 12, the U.S. has begun deporting Venezuelans to Mexico under Title 42, and since then, attempts by Venezuelans to enter the U.S. illegally have decreased by more than 85%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.