The United States had to once again become a “beacon of hope” for refugees, an important electoral promise by Joe Biden. The letter seems to have an effect on the drawing. Troubles are accumulating in the border village of Del Rio.
Fewer than 35,000 people live in Del Rio, Texas. The village is sandwiched between the borders of the United States and Mexico. This makes it one of the places many refugees from Mexico try to cross into the United States. Although this has been happening for years, the numbers have exploded in recent weeks.
More immigrants
In February, Del Rio joined 500 immigrants from Mexico. But the numbers rose rapidly to more than 1,700 immigrants a month later. Even the border guards, or border guards, are reporting an increase of at least 300 percent compared to last year.
“It might not sound like much, but it does concern our society,” said Sean Young. He is a priest in Del Rio and tries to help wherever he can. For example, he has direct contact with border guards to find out how many people were arrested that day and where they are.
A humanitarian problem
Along with his church, Shon provides clothing, food, drink, and care to the children. “This is a human problem. I want to try to return some dignity to these people, who all have their own story. But there are also people in this community who disagree with what we do.”
The influx of immigrants prompted Democratic Mayor of Del Rio, Bruno Lozano, to criticize President Biden’s policies in a video message. He feels abandoned and describes the government’s response to the immigration crisis as a “slap in the face”.
Difficult words
In the video message, the mayor reacted angrily: “This is a breach of national security on a level not seen before in history. What do you do? You don’t hold back, you don’t even call it a crisis. But it is a challenge,” he says, among other things. .
President Joe Biden and his administration insist that the refugee influx “is no different from previous years.” But the numbers now tell a different story. The number of immigrants attempting to cross into the United States illegally reached a 15-year high last month.
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Crossing borders without parents
A total of 171,000 people were arrested in March. The number of underage asylum seekers and children crossing the border without parents has never been this high. Government facilities can no longer even accommodate everyone.
As the government can no longer cope with the demand, it has to rely on volunteer help. One of those volunteers is Tiffany Borough. She runs the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Alliance, a group of Del Rio volunteers who look after the fate of the migrants who arrive in the village.
Take care of what is to come
“There is definitely a wave going on here. Our organization is focusing on families and we are seeing many families – for whatever reason – break up during the flight. A warm meal and a humanitarian gesture.”
In recent weeks, Burrow has seen increased use of its shelter and volunteers. “I’m really worried about what is going to happen. We are just now along the road and we are a small community. We are being asked for a lot. I hope they realize that in Washington, DC.”
