June – July Media Report

Hundreds of people returned to Mexico daily without a fear screening.

“Not everybody has a valid asylum claim, but even if one person is fleeing violence or persecution, that’s enough to ask that Border Patrol listens to every single one of them,” Pedro De Velasco Garza said. “You cannot ignore them all, because the risk is that you’re sending somebody to danger or you’re sending somebody to death.” In the month since the new restrictions took effect, many people in need of protection are being summarily expelled from the border without any access to the asylum process. Some estimates put the number at 400-600 people being pushed back each day. An increasing number of buses have been dropping off deported migrants and the Nogales port of entry. Many are families with young children. We call on CBP to ensure that people have access to the asylum process – including a credible fear interview. And if CBP continues to deport people, it must occur in as humane a way as possible – during the daytime, to a place where people can receive humanitarian assistance and shelter from the scorching summer months.

US Government fails to provide resources so humanitarian organizations can receive newly deported people on the move.

“‘We’re having to turn people away because we can’t, we don’t have the room for all the people who need shelter,’ Kino Border Initiative Executive Director Joanna Williams told the The Associated Press, noting that her shelter can only take in around 100 people at a time.”

Let’s be clear: KBI wants people to come to KBI. We stand in solidarity, ready to welcome people on the move.

At the same time, expanding capacity at this moment is key. We call on the US government to do its part by resourcing communities in Ambos Nogales and Organizations like KBI.

Advocate details the challenges, opportunities that older children who migrate face when navigating US education system.

This article features Ileana Salinas, who manages the mental health and arts department at Aliento, which supports high school students who have migrated. As we mention in today’s feature, older students often find fewer on-ramps and more obstacles when seeking to integrate into the US. Challenges can include policies that require them to study in English, navigating different graduation requirements and grading systems, and finding ways to get involved in the midst of having two parents working full-time. Salinas emphasizes the need for quality relationships and holistic accompaniment. “When we come into the classrooms, we try to show them that there is a path. There are scholarships available. Some of them depend on your immigration status, but some of them don’t. And so we try to educate them and let them know, hey, if I made it through, you can do it, too.”