A report from human rights organizations that work along the border details what has changed for asylum seekers since President Donald Trump took office.
The report comes from eight aid groups working in Mexican cities along the U.S.-Mexico border — including two stationed along the Arizona-Sonora border. It includes open-source data from the U.S. and Mexico, along with testimony from aid groups and asylum seekers.
They say the Trump administration’s first five weeks in office brought massive border changes — like an invasion declaration that essentially blocks all asylum access. Meanwhile, border wall construction has continued, military units have been deployed to some parts of the border, and detention for immigrant families has resumed.
At the same time, the groups say, pressure on Mexico and other Latin American countries to stop people from getting to the U.S.-Mexico border has also increased.
They’re calling on both the Mexican government and U.S. Congress to make changes to prevent rights violations. It also calls on aid groups and religious organizations to help foster a humanitarian response to migration.
