Overflowing Immigrant Lines... US Detention Centers at Risk of 'Overcrowding'

End of Immigrant Deportation 'Title 42'
Expectations Rise for Eased Entry Screening
38 Dead in Detention Center Fire

The number of immigrants from Latin America attempting to enter the United States is increasing, raising concerns about overcrowding in temporary detention centers. In particular, with the termination of the 'Title 42' policy that allowed for the expulsion of immigrants, the number of Latin American immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. is expected to rise further.

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. newspaper New York Times (NYT) reported that the number of hopeful entrants currently waiting to migrate to the U.S. via Mexico from Latin America has reached 660,000.

According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), from October last year to March this year, nearly 1.29 million migrants attempting to cross the southwestern U.S. border were either expelled or detained. If this number continues, it is expected to surpass last year's record high of 2.38 million.

The surge in the number of people waiting to enter the U.S. is attributed to the economic crisis in Latin America and the termination of Title 42. In 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump implemented Title 42, which allowed for the immediate expulsion of illegal entrants without refugee screening, citing the prevention of COVID-19 spread as justification.

On the 11th (local time), Latin American immigrants were waiting to apply for entry into the United States near the border area between San Diego, USA, and Mexico. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

This policy was maintained after President Joe Biden announced plans to expand it last January. However, it officially ended on the 11th. Although the number of illegal migrants recorded in the southwestern U.S. on the day after Title 42 ended, the 12th, was 6,300?less than initially feared?it is reported that a large-scale migration had already begun, anticipating looser immigration screening even before the policy ended.

As a result, concerns about overcrowding in temporary detention centers, where refugees undergo entry screening, are growing. The CBP is already detaining about 28,000 people in temporary detention centers, far exceeding the centers' capacity.

On the 28th of last month, a fire broke out at an immigrant detention facility in a Mexican border city, a gateway to the U.S., resulting in 38 deaths and 29 injuries.

There were suspicions that the large-scale casualties were due to staff locking the exit doors and leaving the facility during the fire. However, the Mexican government, which manages the facility, claimed that "immigrant arson was the cause" of the fire.

Although the detention facility is located in a Mexican border city, such facilities serve as places where immigrants hoping to enter the U.S. stay. Regarding this, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the U.S. for effectively 'outsourcing' immigration issues to Mexico, which has led to fatal consequences.

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