The Biden administration continues to be overwhelmed at the southern border, and Venezuelans fleeing oppression and despair are an ongoing challenge.
Their attempt to enter the U.S. in droves not only signals the terrible conditions their home country’s government has created but stands as evidence that our government has few tools to stop or even slow mass migration from impoverished Latin American nations.
A stopgap measure taken this month so far is working. But this short-term fix points out, once again, the need to seek long-term solutions in both Congress and at a regional level.
During a recent interview, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas rightly called this flow of immigrants from South America an “acute challenge.” The numbers were growing exponentially in recent months, jumping from 6,000 to 21,000 Venezuelan crossings within one week.
Under the new policy, some Venezuelans will be allowed into the U.S. through sponsors under a humanitarian parole program. Applicants must file from outside the U.S. Most Venezuelans who cross the border will be expelled to Mexico, with officials relying on a Trump-instituted pandemic-era policy the Biden administration tried unsuccessfully to phase out. But Title 42, as this policy is called, has been kept alive in courts and, for now, it is proving useful for the administration.
With the new restrictions in place, the number of crossings has been dramatically reduced from 1,200 a day to about 150, as The New York Times reported. This is good news, but as Latin American nations are leaving the pandemic behind, economic difficulties remain.
The U.S. cannot repatriate Venezuelans because of strained diplomatic relations, so this means a large number of immigrants from this country will become Mexico’s problem.
We anticipate that the economic crisis will continue to drive people out, whether to the U.S. or other countries. Almost 7 million people have left a country that as of 2020 had about 28 million residents. In 2021, 94.5% of Venezuelans were living in poverty, with three-quarters of them in extreme poverty, according to a survey by Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. Let those numbers sink in for a minute. If you add rampant gang crime and a repressive regime to this recipe, the only way to survive for many is to leave the country.
Biden’s administration has made timid attempts to address the economic and political instability in Latin America. A more aggressive approach is required. The need to act is urgent as more countries in the region face a downward spiral.
It is true that U.S policy should look for safe and orderly lawful pathways to immigration, but without comprehensive reform, only a few can benefit. It is a sad state of affairs when 11 million jobs are unfilled, and the government must continue to expel desperate immigrants seeking to survive.
