Over the course of this past month thousands of Haitian migrants have travelled to America’s southern border attempting to cross into the nation. A majority of Haitians along the border came from Chile and Brazil after they failed to find work and settle into those countries. The reasons for their travels are all extremely different, but based upon hundreds of interviews they all mostly involve searching for work and shelter following the massive issues of COVID, the assassination of the former Haitian President Jovenel Moise, and the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti over a month ago causing absolute chaos and fear throughout the nation. These disasters have also caused massive unemployment and crime to spread throughout all of Haiti all of which has caused these individuals to flee to the southern border of the U.S. The border of Texas has been completely overwhelmed as more than 12,000 migrants have set up a massive camp under the state’s international bridge in Del Rio. Many similar encampments stretch across the entire southern border and conditions within them all are quite terrible. In just the encampment below the bridge alone a majority of Haitian migrants have suffered through terrible conditions such as extreme heat during the day, blistering cold at night, poor living conditions, dehydration, and medical issues. 

     Following this serious border crisis former Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Ron Vitiello blamed the Biden Administration for their lack of border enforcement and removal of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. When current President Biden was elected, he relaxed or completely removed many of his predecessor’s former policies which has now made it much easier for people to enter the country legally or not. Learning this news along with the various issues previously mentioned has caused this large number of Haitian migrants to take the long journey north until they eventually reached our southern border. President Biden and his administration have begun slight pushes on immigration along the southern border. One such push was issuing several statements informing immigrants that they strongly discourage travelling long distances to the American border and that even families are subject to restrictions and even expulsion should the need prove necessary. The Administration has also held onto former President Trump’s Title 42 pandemic order which allows the US to send Haitian migrants away before they can properly enter the nation. The Department of Homeland Security has also begun taking action stating that they will begin sending both illegal and trouble-making migrants back to Haiti which has elicited criticism from with Biden’s own Democratic Party. In response to the Department of Homeland Security and Biden’s use of the Title 42 pandemic order Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has issued a declaration denouncing the both of them and calling for all remaining Haitian immigrants to be granted due process. This issue doesn’t appear to be settled anytime soon however and even now as our politicians argue, thousands of Haitian migrants are suffering under their poor living conditions in encampments, hoping to enter the nation before they can be driven away.