Donald Trump is set to officially assume office on Jan. 20. Having run his campaign with the promise to crack down on unauthorized border crossings and carry out the largest mass deportation operation in "American history," human smugglers and aspiring migrants alike are spreading a common message: hurry up and enter the U.S. before Inauguration Day.
Many anticipate the incoming president will dismantle legal pathways of entry into the U.S., including a government app that allows people to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico and then cross legally when they have an appointment, a system that was created just last year, the Wall Street Journal reports.
There is no solid evidence yet that a migrant surge is underway, but nevertheless, smugglers and lawmakers are preparing for that possibility.
On Nov. 4, nearly 36 hours before Trump declared victory, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas held a virtual meeting with his top advisers and the heads of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in which the participants raised concerns about what a possible Trump victory would do to border security, NBC News reported.
Some questions in the meeting included: how would the Department of Homeland Security operationally prepared to deal with a potential spike in immigration? Was there enough bed space in ICE detention to hold immigrants before deporting them? And would the agencies be able to continue placing migrants who do not qualify for asylum on a rapid path toward removal?, according to two officials in the call.
In that meeting, officials reiterated that the DHS had not yet seen a surge in migrants heading to the U.S. But with just weeks until Trump assumes office, it seems that smugglers' advice may be reaching some migrants.
"Coyotes" or "polleros," as these smugglers are known, are reportedly using WhatsApp and social-media groups to tell immigrants that the time to reach the U.S. is now or never, according to the Wall Street Journal.
For instance, in southern Mexico near the Guatemala border, some 4,000 migrants formed three caravans last week and set out for the U.S., volunteers and Mexican officials said. But many of them dispersed after being quickly "hooked," or lured, by human smugglers, said Luis Villagran, a Mexican migrant advocate who organizes caravans in the city of Tapachula. Caravans offer safety in numbers of migrants, but are easy targets for authorities, while smugglers offer faster routes to the U.S.
"There were four WhatsApp groups in which hundreds of migrants coordinated their departure on U.S. election day. As soon as Trump's victory became clear, messages spreading fear began to appear," he said.
Likewise, Beatriz Fuentes, who manages the Casa Fuente shelter for women and children in Mexico City, said her shelter began emptying out even before the election. "They were told to hurry up in case of a possible change," she said.
Another shelter operator in Tijuana, Mexico, where migrants wait before they enter the U.S., said she expects coyotes to pressure immigrants to start crossing now.
"Of course, the coyotes will arrive, they are going to say that they need to get in before Donald Trump arrives," said Gustavo Banda, operator of Templo Embajadores de Jesus, which houses about 1,400 migrants.
Banda also said there is a feeling of uncertainty among migrants at his shelter, but he tries to keep them calm. "No one knows what is going to happen," Banda said. "That's why you have to talk to them, that for the moment, absolutely nothing changes."
A surge in immigration could take weeks to emerge. Recent storms have closed the muddy jungle paths and rivers in the Darien Gap, foreign observers tell WSJ. At the same time, authorities in border cities such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez aren't reporting significant increases in migrant arrivals.
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