North American Migration 2019
Longer version from the Migration and Mobility in the Americas by Henley & Partners https://link.medium.com/RIdXYnsJv6
Harsh
treatment of migrants both by the U.S. and Mexican government was a steady
trend in 2019 within North America. Indispensable
changes are needed with serious backlogs in the courts, makeshift tent camps at
the U.S. Mexican border and several hundreds of asylum seekers seeking refuge
in third party countries away from Central American gang violence. Sluggish
world growth and riots in many Latin America countries will encourage more
people to migrate north, even under the cruel conditions.
President
Trump’s “American First program” has affected more refugee and asylum seekers than
for skilled migrants (through the H-1B program), which has impacted negatively both
North and Central America alike. Out-migration
from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador has increased because of long standing
structural conditions namely, social, political and economic insecurity
(Pederzini 2018).
A
record number of illegal migrants into the U.S. reached an all-time high with
numbers of detentions reaching over 114,000 in the month of May (its highest
level in 13 years), which is a drastic uptick since Trump’s inauguration in
January of 2018, where the detentions level fell below 20,000, the lowest
number in a half century (NYTIMES 2019).
According to Mexico Census data, between
2000 and 2010, the foreign-born population doubled, yet is still remains less
than 1% of the total population. The largest foreign-born population is made up
of US citizens, but It is likely that there are growing numbers of Central
Americans who may choose to stay in Mexico. In 2019, 19% of migrants
interviewed in shelters said their main destination was Mexico (CNDH 2019).
BBVA (2019) estimated that there are 38.5
million people of Mexican descent living in the U.S. with an estimated 12.3
million born in Mexico, 13.5 million children of Mexican immigrants, and 12.7
million more with Mexican ancestry. The Bank economists also estimate that in
2019 requests for refuge in Mexico could reach 80,000 (+ 170%) and the issuance
of “Humanitarian Visas” to 60,000 (+ 305%), mainly requested by Central
American people.
Finally, in November the Obama era Dreamer program saw arguments in
the supreme court, questioning the unconstitutional of the Trump administration
ability to end the program which allows foreign born youth brought to the U.S.
under the age of 18 to say in the country (NYTIMES 2019). Decisions will be made next year. Additional projections for changes in U.S.
migration policy is dependent upon the U.S. presidential election in November
2020.
Biography
Heidi Jane Smith is a research professor in the Economics department at
the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. She received her Ph.D. in
Public Affairs from Florida International University and has extensive
experience working with local and regional governments in Latin America as a
consultant (IDB, OAS, OECD) and serving in the U.S. government (State,
IAF).
References
BBVA, Anuario de Migración y Remesas
2019. Avalible at: https://www.bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/1809_AnuarioMigracionRemesas_2018.pdf
Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH)
2019. Los desafíos de la migración y los albergues como oasis. Available
at: https://www.cndh.org.mx/sites/default/files/documentos/2019-06/Informe-Especial-Desafios-migracion.pdf
Migration Policy Institute (MPI) 2019 August 2,2019 Press Release
accessed November 2019 Available at: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/report-sketches-factors-behind-us-mexico-border-crisis-outlines-solutions
NYTIMES 2019 “Mexico Aims to avoid Tariffs with potential deal
liming migrants grown north, allowing U.S. to deport Central American asylum
seekers.” By Nick Miroff, David J. Lynch and Kevin Sieff June 6, 2019.
National Public radio 2019. American Bar Association says
Immigration courts are “on the brink of Collapse” June 6, 2019.
NYTIMES 2019 “We are full”: What asylum seekers are told, by
Stephanie Leutert and Shaw Drake New York Time. January 28, 2019.
New York Times (2019). “Supreme Court Appears Ready to Let Trump
End DACA Program.” Adam Liptak.
Nov. 12, 2019.
Pederzini, Carla,
Riosmena, Fernando, Masferrer, Claudia, and Molina, Noemy 2015. Three
decades of migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America: A
historical and demographic outlook”, CANAMID
Policy Brief Series, PB01, CIESAS: Guadalajara, Mexico. Available
at: www.canamid.org
Pederzini, Carla 2018. Irregular Migration in Mexico as a Transit
and Destination Country, presentation at the 2nd Annual Metropolis
North America Migration Policy Forum, September 27-28, 2018, Mexico City.
U.S. Department of State (2019). U.S. Relations with Mexico,
Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Accessed 11.20.2019. Available here https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-mexico/
U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services (2019) Press release April
10, 2019 Available at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-completes-h-1b-cap-random-selection-process-fy-2020-and-reaches-advanced-degree-exemption-cap
