(Ciudad Juárez) After a dangerous odyssey, their hopes of entering the United States legally have just vanished: on the border with Mexico, hundreds of Venezuelans are appalled by the decision of the American Supreme Court, which could extend the official closing of the border.
“We are human beings, we are flesh and blood! How do you explain this to judges and governors? thunders Juan Delgado.
Dressed in a simple sweater, the thirties must face the mercury approaching 0 ° C in Ciudad Juarez, a border town that borders the wall along Texas.
Like him, thousands of migrants hoped to put an end to the application of “Title 42”, which for two years has closed border crossings to people without visas, including asylum seekers.
Activated by ex-President Donald Trump in the name of the fight against the pandemic, this controversial measure was initially due to expire Tuesday at midnight, after a long legal series.
But at the last minute, the Supreme Court ordered Monday to maintain these restrictions, the time that an emergency appeal filed by twenty Republican governors is considered. A decision that opens the door to a possible extension of “Title 42”.
“Why don’t they give us a chance? “, laments Mr. Delgado to AFP. “They treat us like criminals, when we just want to work. »
Next to him, Edward Acevedo is shot. This judicial imbroglio plunged him into “great sadness”. “We went through the jungle, the hunger and the cold. A lot of hardships, ”breathes this 41-year-old Venezuelan, who shares a makeshift shelter with dozens of compatriots, in the house of a pastor.
The expiration of this exceptional regime, “it was the chance to move forward for all the Venezuelans who are here”, regrets Angel Colmenares, after having burst into tears when he learned of the decision.
Faced with the deep political and economic crisis in which Venezuela is mired, more than 6 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015 according to the UN.
While the majority emigrate to other Latin American countries, many of them embark on a dangerous journey, which includes braving the Darien jungle in Panama, to reach the United States.
‘No one wants us’
In Ciudad Juarez, the misery in which candidates for exile remain speaks volumes about the distress that moves them. Most sleep on the floor and light fires in garbage cans to keep warm.
Despite the cold, many attempt to cross the Rio Grande River, which separates Mexico from the United States, with their children on their shoulders. The others try to sell blankets or gloves to survive, when they don’t get kidnapped by the cartels.
“We are the forgotten ones, nobody wants us,” sighs a Venezuelan, who wishes to remain anonymous. “Wherever we go, we disturb. »
In an attempt to reduce this influx, Washington launched a humanitarian program in October, which plans to welcome a quota of 24,000 Venezuelans arriving directly by plane.
In return, those who arrive by land, and who were previously exempt from Title 42 because of the political situation in Venezuela, are now subject to this measure.
But most migrants who reach the border wall refuse to turn back and opt to go underground.
“The salary in Venezuela is 20 dollars, and with that I buy two chickens, how can you live like that? continues Mr. Acevedo, who left his wife and child behind.
In Ciudad Juarez, the barrier has many holes through which to slip, as on the thousands of kilometers that border Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California.
The migrants who cross it then go themselves to the border guards, so that their case is examined. If they are allowed to apply for asylum, they are then released pending a final decision.
Monday, in the space of barely ten minutes, an AFP team saw five Venezuelans take one of these faults to reach the city of El Paso in Texas.
“They won’t let us in and I can’t wait any longer,” said one, requesting anonymity. “My wife is dying of a tumor and I need money for her treatment. »