Reuters.- The United States on Thursday began transporting Central American and Mexican families to southern Mexico in an effort to deter migration and after having reinforced a deportation policy due to the advance of the pandemic, said a person familiar with the matter.
Nearly 200 members of Mexican and Central American families were flown into Mexican territory away from the border on Thursday, on what are expected to be regular flights, the person said.
The flights, which will include adults, are intended to disrupt a pattern of repeated crossings under a United States border policy known as Title 42, which allows for the immediate removal of migrants after the highly rapid Delta variant of the coronavirus has spread. contagious.
US President Joe Biden has reversed many restrictive immigration policies of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, but left Title 42 in place as the number of border arrests has never been higher in 20 years.
Although health experts, immigrant advocates and some Democrats say the policy cuts off access to asylum without a clear health justification, Biden officials argue that it is necessary to prevent US detention centers from overcrowding during the pandemic.
The United States will work with nongovernmental organizations and shelters in southern Mexico to ensure that migrants can safely return to their home countries, said the person who requested anonymity.
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The Biden administration also announced last week that it would subject migrant families to a process known as “expedited deportation” to their home countries from US detention centers.
Deportation flights to Mexico will be faster than that process, said the person familiar with the situation.
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