A large group of Venezuelan migrants appeared distraught, teary-eyed and panicked at the Mexico border in Tijuana on Thursday — hours after President Biden announced they would be deported from the United States.
The migrants were photographed at the El Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana shortly after Mexico agreed to take in the Venezuelans now being expelled by the Biden government.
Several women appear to be screaming for attention while clutching their belongings, including papers and water bottles. Several young men are also seen raising their arms.
“We’re desperate, we’ve been through so much,” Yair Andrade, who came to Tijuana via Central America with his wife and children, told Portal.
Venezuelan migrants appear desperate at the US border in Tijuana after being deported under a new plan by President Joe Biden.AFP via Getty Images
“We still don’t know how to participate in the program. We cannot go back to Venezuela, we have nothing there now,” he added.
The Biden administration reversed its “catch and release” policy, which allowed tens of thousands of asylum-seekers to remain in the United States during lengthy court proceedings, and reinstated a Trump-era rule, Title 42. to expel Venezuelan migrants arriving at the southern border with Mexico under a deal negotiated on Wednesday.
As part of the deal, the US will allow 24,000 Venezuelans humanitarian entry by plane – if they have a sponsor in the States. No details were given on what Mexico has to gain from the agreement.
The migrants gesticulated wildly shortly after Mexico agreed to take in Venezuelans expelled by the Biden government. AFP via Getty Images
Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales told The Post that Mexican authorities refused to accept Biden’s order when border police in El Paso, Texas, tried to accept it. AFP via Getty Images
Republicans immediately seized on the timing of the policy change — which comes weeks before the midterm elections — and called it a stunt.
“Biden is more concerned with performative politics and his party’s medium-term prospects than with saving lives,” Republican National Committee spokesman Will O’Grady told the Washington Examiner.
“There is no quick fix to this problem – but fresh leadership would be a solid start,” he added.
Venezuelan migrants stranded at Mexico border fear they may never be able to reach US.AFP via Getty Images
The US has no diplomatic ties with Venezuela and Mexico has previously refused to accept Venezuelans from the US because their home country will not take them back. The country has now announced that it will “temporarily” take in the migrants to ease the problems at the southern border.
The US has seen an influx of migrants as political unrest and economic instability led by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have rocked the South American country.
The new program got off to a rocky start. When border police in El Paso, Texas, tried to enforce Biden’s order, Mexican authorities refused to accept them, Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales told The Post.
“Border Police worked with Mexican authorities to send about 100 people across and Mexico immediately turned them back,” Gonzales said of Wednesday night’s incident in Texas.
“They basically said we didn’t have the logistics or the infrastructure to deal with these people… that was a huge mistake,” he added.
On Thursday, Venezuelan migrants stranded at the Mexico border feared they would never be able to reach the US.
Up to 1,000 Venezuelans a day could be deported to Mexico under the new deal, two American officials told Portal.
About 300 Venezuelans were deported on Wednesday after the deal was announced, they said on condition of anonymity.
With mail wires