After the devastating earthquakes of 2010, many Haitians moved to South America. When work in Rio de Janeiro became more difficult after the 2016 Olympics, many went to the US border on foot, by bus, or by car.
It is not clear what led to the sudden influx of immigrants from Haiti. According to the Associated Press, a possible explanation may be that the US government has announced that it will no longer allow vulnerable asylum seekers to enter the United States. “A sense of despair has spread among the immigrants,” says the head of legal affairs at the nonprofit organization. Haiti Bridge Alliancethat helps Haitian immigrants.
The lawyer for an immigrant shelter on the Mexican side of the border suspects that people decided to go to the United States based on rumors about upcoming changes in US immigration policy.
President Biden has rescinded some of his predecessor Trump’s inhuman immigration policies, but a regulation that went into effect during the coronavirus crisis to quickly bring back immigrants remains in place. On Friday, a judge ruled that the scheme may not apply to families. The Biden administration has appealed the ruling.
