Venezuelan migrants are walking through dangerous jungles to reach the USA.
But many didn’t make it that far. They have already been sent back to Mexico.
Sounds familiar? In 2017, the then-US President Donald Trump authorised the construction of a border wall to keep illegal migrants from Mexico entering the country.
Trump’s presidential campaign and policy on migrants and border crossings drew sharp criticism
Ironically, his rival President Joe Biden, has revived a Trump-era rule, known as Title 42, to deny Venezuelans the chance to request asylum.
The recent increase in migration from Venezuela is sparked by political, social and economic instability in the country under Nicolas Maduro
By August, Venezuelans were the second-largest nationality arriving at the U.S. border after Mexicans.
Now, many are undertaking dangerous treks across the jungle known as the Darién Gap to Panama to reach the United States.
The Title 42 rule was first invoked by Donald Trump in 2020.
It allows the US to keep migrants from seeking asylum at the border in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Under Title 42, migrants have been expelled more than 2.3 million times from the U.S. after crossing the country’s land borders illegally from Canada or Mexico.
Back then, Joe Biden had denounced President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Two weeks ago, his government revived this rule.
Under this new rule, Venezuelans who walk or swim across America's southern border will be expelled.
Any Venezuelan who illegally enters Mexico or Panama will be ineligible to come to the United States.
But as many as 24,000 Venezuelans will be accepted at U.S. airports.
Many immigrant advocates have criticised this policy.
A lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union is also trying to end Title 42.
A lawyer from this organization said that everyone has a right to seek asylum.
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