Del Rio International Bridge Reopens As U.S. And Mexico Clear Out Unprecedented Migrant Encampment

The Del Rio International Bridge has now resumed operations for necessary travel and commerce.

From January onwards, over $2.8 billion worth of merchandise traversed the border between Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. Beneath the bridge, a spontaneous encampment was established by approximately 16,000 migrants, predominantly of Haitian origin, resulting in its closure for a duration exceeding one week.

Over the past week, the U.S. Government has relocated many thousands of migrants back to Haiti, and the massive camp has been emptied out.

Luis Angel Urruza, president of the National Chamber of Commerce in Ciudad Acuña, stated that the reopening was timely as any further delay would have resulted in a catastrophic economic situation.

“There would have been a massive collapse, and promptly small enterprises would shut down,” he stated.

This weekend, Mexican authorities in Ciudad Acuña relocated migrants from a camp in the area to a temporary shelter.

Betania expressed her uneasiness towards the Mexican law enforcement. She requested that we refer to her by her first name only, as she is concerned about possible reprisals. TPR conversed with a woman from Haiti named Betania at the camp.

“You can’t actually rest in the camp. I am solely in the hands of God,” she expressed.

Around 250 Haitian migrants eventually agreed to leave their camp in a public park in Ciudad Acuña and go to an abandoned event venue called “Salon Fandango.”

Mattresses would arrive later in the day. There were no shower facilities. A significant portion of the structure was without a roof upon the initial arrival of the first van at the temporary shelter. Nevertheless.

Gerardo Ledesma, the Pastor of Casa de Alabanza, delivered food to the migrants at the shelter.

“I’m seeing the need. The authorities have not provided the support until now that they have moved them here,” he told TPR.

Ledesma alleged that the governments of the United States and Mexico were hastily trying to evacuate the camps and intimidating the migrants.

These immigrants were a portion of a previous mass migration from Haiti to South and Central America.

The question now is whether additional Haitian migrants will attempt to travel north.

The United States expects Mexico to continue receiving many migrants from South America who arrive in Panama by land. An estimated 2,500 Haitians are arriving each day. There is an early indication that they come from Central America.

The U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti Daniel Foote resigned in protest over the federal government’s handling of the situation in Del Rio.

In May, the government stated that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) does not pertain to individuals from Haiti who have made an effort to journey to the United States. Nevertheless, the Caribbean country has suffered greatly due to political turmoil and a seismic event. In May, the Biden administration provided Haitian residents residing in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

The Biden administration has boarded many migrants onto flights sending them back to Haiti under the Trump-era policy of expelling migrants in order to stop the spread of COVID-19, activists for immigrant rights call this policy illegal because it does not allow for a lawful asylum process and is likely to spread the disease to anyone else other than migrants.