Originally published August 23, 2023 8:04 am PDT
In an unprecedented move, 114 floodgates have been welded open along the Arizona border by the Biden administration, creating an accessible passage for migrants.
Originally opened to permit water flow during the monsoon season and to aid in the migration of an endangered antelope species, these gates have now become conduits for thousands of migrants to walk into the U.S., according to a report from The New York Post.
One migrant from Cuba expressed her astonishment, saying, “It was so easy to get into the US. Nothing like our journey through Mexico. That part was hard.”
Another migrant from Ecuador shared a similar sentiment, revealing, “We thought the agents were going to tell us something. But we just walked in.”
“Everything changed since [President Biden] took over,” one source mentioned. “This part of the border wall was built four years ago. Now we’re just letting people through.”
“No one wants to do this. They [the migrants] commit a federal crime, we charge them, they don’t get convicted. They don’t get sent back. They get a credible fear interview, they get an [asylum] court date years from now,” they added. “We never hear anything more than that. The administration is not going to help us.”
The Tucson entry point is now the main hotspot for unauthorized entries.
Each of these 12-foot wide doors, which have remained open for close to two months, is large enough for even vehicles to pass through.
Notably, smugglers have taken advantage of this situation, driving migrants right up to the border in busloads.
Following this, many migrants willingly turn themselves in to border agents, hoping to seek asylum.
Adam Isacson, a director at the Washington Office on Latin America, highlighted the scale of the issue, stating, “We haven’t seen this many migrants since about 2008. What you’re seeing is a lot of large groups who want to turn themselves in.”
“Tucson has also traditionally been where smugglers concentrate Mexicans and Central Americans who don’t want to be detected,” he added. “Now they’re seeing 100 people at a time who are not running away. It’s really becoming an epicenter. This is big.”
While these gates were intended to stay open to facilitate the monsoon season’s expected rains, the late onset of monsoons this year meant migrants had an extended window of dry pathways.
An inside source elucidated on the predicament, mentioning, “We tried to shut the gates but the order came down that we had to leave them open.”
The resulting influx has been substantial.
Last month, 42,561 migrants were documented at the Tucson border post, marking a notable rise from the 27,294 reported in June, The Post notes.
Tucson’s surge in crossings has even overshadowed historically busier border areas like El Paso and Laredo.
A unique aspect of the current migrant wave in Tucson is its global diversity.
Migrants are arriving not only from Latin American countries but also from distant nations such as India, Egypt, and China.
Customs and Border Protection commented on the unfolding scenario, asserting, “The individuals had already crossed the border from Mexico, are on U.S. soil, and are subject to U.S. immigration laws. Individuals who cross unlawfully will be subject to the lawful pathways rule, which places common-sense conditions on asylum eligibility, with certain exceptions. Those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States will be removed.”
