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A new migrant caravan is heading from southern Mexico toward the US border.

Nearly 3,000 migrants set out north from southern Mexico to demand an end to detention centers like the one that caught fire last month, killing 40 migrants.

The migrants say their goal with this massive protest march is to reach Mexico City to demand changes in the treatment of migrants.

Among the changes that migrants are demanding is the dignified treatment that migrants deserve and justice for the compatriots who died in the fire that occurred in a migrant detention center in Mexico.

The march organizer, Irineo Mujica, stated that the migrants are demanding the dissolution of the country's immigration agency, whose officials have been blamed, and some charged with homicide, in the March 27 fire that occurred at the jail, referred to as a migrant detention center.

The walk, called Via Crucis, refers to the mistreatment, humiliation, bad experiences, abuse of authority, irresponsibility, and repeated omissions by officials towards migrants in detention centers.

Mass mobilizations are used as a mechanism for raising awareness, since small groups of migrants are not heard. It is hoped that this march will bring justice and clear answers for the families of the migrants who died in Ciudad Juárez.

The issue of migrant caravans to the USA is very complex. Long-term political and humanitarian solutions are needed to address the root causes of migration, as well as measures to improve the safety and security of migrants during their journey to destination countries.

Source: El País, CNN en español and Telemundo

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The United States seeks to expand legal avenues to regulate the irregular flow of migrants in the Darien Gap

Some 90,000 people have crossed this dangerous jungle between Panama and Colombia. More than 87,000 migrants crossed the Darién Gap in the first three months of the year, mainly from Venezuela, Haiti, and Ecuador—nearly 14,000 more than in the same period last year.

Following the end of Title 42, the plan to reduce the irregular flow of migrants has three elements: the campaign against human trafficking, the expansion of legal pathways to receive migrants, and investment to create better conditions in countries of origin, thereby controlling migration to the USA.

In light of the uncontrolled migration in the Darién Gap, the United States is seeking to focus its efforts, along with Panama and Colombia, on curbing the growing flow of migrants by arresting the leaders of human trafficking networks, explained Katie Robin, director of cross-border affairs at the White House National Security Council, on Thursday. However, it remains to be seen how much of this political rhetoric can be translated into practical action.

These legal pathways include expanding refugee programs, employment opportunities, and family reunification. The US is also asking other countries in the region to contribute to the plan, such as Canada's recent initiative to legally receive approximately 15,000 more people from the Americas this year.

The plan is to welcome migrants to the USA and offer them more legal pathways, hoping to dissuade them from risking their lives without knowing if they will have any legal support from the United States. Will this strategy actually work?

In 2022, a record 250,000 migrants crossed the Darién Gap, 60% of them Venezuelan. The UN estimates that 400,000 migrants will cross the Darién Gap in 2023.

Faced with the surge in migrants, the Biden administration used Title 42 to prevent Venezuelans from seeking asylum at the border. Instead, it announced it would accept up to 24,000 Venezuelans arriving by plane after their Humanitarian Parole application was approved.

With this new plan, it is hoped that measures can be taken against irregular migration and to ensure the safety of those who seek opportunities in the American country at all costs.

Source: Telemundo

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Illegal plot: Donald Trump

Donald Trump became the first former US president to face charges on Tuesday. The 76-year-old politician and businessman appeared in a Manhattan court, where the judge informed him of 34 charges against him related to a payment for the silence of a former porn actress with whom he allegedly had a relationship.

FOR SHOWING OFF | The payment itself wouldn't be illegal, but Trump allegedly recorded it as a business expense. In New York, falsifying business information is illegal.

«"The state of New York alleges that Donald J. Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to cover up crimes that concealed potentially damaging information from voters during the 2016 presidential election," he said.

The whole case revolves around the payment of US$1,440,130,000 that Trump's then lawyer and right-hand man, Michael Cohen, made in 2016 to the lawyer of porn actress Stormy Daniels so that she would keep quiet about the alleged extramarital relationship she had had with Trump and not harm the presidential candidacy of the real estate mogul that was beginning to take off.

Paying money to buy someone's silence is not considered a crime in the United States. And in New York, falsifying company documents is only considered a minor offense, a misdemeanor. But it becomes a more serious crime if it is determined that there is evidence that it was committed to facilitate or cover up another crime.

In the USA, violating the spying law is extremely serious; anyone other than Trump would already be indicted and would have to appear before a grand jury, but because it involves a former president, it would create a monumental scandal.

The search warrant for the home of former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021), published this Friday, reveals that the former president took classified material home, which could have violated the Espionage Act, in addition to obstructing the work of the Justice system.

The case is rejected by former President Trump, who believes it is politically motivated and part of a "witch hunt" against him to curtail his presidential aspirations in the 2024 election.

Source: El País and BBC

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38 migrants died in a fire at a detention center in Mexico

The tragic fire at the National Migration Institute (INM) facility on the border in El Paso, Texas, has claimed the lives of 38 migrants and left 28 injured. The INM is one of the main crossing points for migrants seeking to enter the United States.

According to José María Ramos, a researcher at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, nearly 800,000 migrants have been detained by U.S. authorities so far this fiscal year, of which at least 60% pass through Ciudad Juárez, which has become the main crossing point for irregular migration between the two countries in the last five months.

Experts and activists say the intense influx of migrants has overwhelmed shelters and official immigration facilities in Ciudad Juárez, where nearly 12,000 migrants have been given refuge.

A similar situation is occurring in New York City, where some 44,000 migrants have been received, which is why it has been proposed to send these people to Canada.
According to Mexican civil society organizations, 2022 was the deadliest year on record for migrants in Mexico, with approximately 900 deaths while attempting to cross into the United States. The region is experiencing an unprecedented migration flow, with 2.76 million undocumented immigrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2022.

Following these tragic events, we must await the information that the investigations will provide. It is crucial to acknowledge that the Mexican government was responsible for the safety of these migrants and should have had an emergency protocol in place to save their lives. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for more comprehensive solutions to address the challenges faced by migrants seeking to enter the United States.

Sources: Telemundo, CNN en español

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1 in 5 Latinos suffer from hunger in the United States

According to the Food Research and Action Center, African American and Latino communities suffer the most from hunger in the USA due to systemic racism, which results in higher levels of poverty, lack of access to healthy food, and wage discrimination, among other causes.

Of the 38 million people suffering from food insecurity in the USA, 11 million are Latinos, 9.5 million are African Americans and 2.4 million are Native Americans, according to a new study by Feeding America.

For a household struggling to pay for housing, utilities, transportation, and other necessities, the added burden of high food prices can have a significant impact on the household budget.

This is because nutritious foods tend to be expensive, and therefore often out of reach for low-income populations. For this reason, measures should be taken to address food inequities and help make food more accessible to millions of people, according to Kymberly Graham, vice president and head of diversity initiatives at NielsenIQ, a global data and analytics company.

The best way to reduce food insecurity is by supporting and donating to programs or organizations that help alleviate food insecurity. Organizations like Feeding America, a network with over 200 food banks, help provide 6.6 billion meals to people in need across the United States.

Source: CNN, Feeding America, Food Research and Action Center.

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From American citizen to undocumented immigrant in the United States

Life changed for Raúl Rodríguez in 2018 when federal investigators showed him a Mexican birth certificate bearing his name. It was then that Rodríguez realized the U.S. birth certificate he had used for decades was fraudulent. He was not a U.S. citizen. He was an undocumented immigrant.

According to his estimates, he helped deport thousands of people while working for CBP and, before that, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Suddenly, he found himself at the opposite end of the spectrum, fighting for the chance to stay in the U.S. * U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

After placing him on leave during the investigation, Rodriguez says CBP fired him in 2019 because he was not a U.S. citizen and therefore no longer met the requirements to work as an agent.

But now, almost five years later, Rodriguez, 54, says he realizes he also gained something amazing after that moment when he learned he was not a U.S. citizen.

Rodríguez states that the day he received that visit, he questioned who he really was and why his father had not told him about the truth of his birth certificate.

Rodriguez is not entirely clear on how, after years of federal background checks, his Mexican birth certificate never turned up. It only came to light when Rodriguez applied for a visa for his brother.

The judge had said she planned to rule in his favor and grant him cancellation of deportation, a key step that would allow Rodríguez to become a legal resident of the United States. But there was still a catch: the law only allows 4,000 such cases to be approved each year, so, once again, Rodríguez would have to wait.

It could be years before he has a document stating that he is legally in the country, and years after that before he can become a U.S. citizen. Every day, Rodríguez checks the immigration court website for more information. And every day he sees the same word that describes his case: “pending.”.

Source: CNN en español, by Catherine E. Shoichet

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International Women's Day: For a more inclusive world

Today is International Women's Day, a day dedicated to advocating for women's rightful place in society in terms of equality, participation, and empowerment. To that end, we bring you four things that should change to achieve this recognition:


WAGE GAP: According to the United Nations, women earn 77 cents per dollar for work of equal value, while men earn $1. At this rate, it will take 275 years to close the gender pay gap globally. The lack of recognition for women in the workplace must change.


FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE: More than five women or girls were killed every hour by a member of their own family. Of the 81,000 women and girls killed in 2021, approximately 45,000 died at the hands of their partners or other relatives, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women. Violence in its various forms kills and subjugates the lives of millions of women and girls worldwide.


BREAKING SOCIAL STEREOTYPESThey break with the imposed roles that prevent us from being free. Women and their role as caregivers, as emotional, sensitive, submissive, and weak beings, relegated to the home, marriage, and the private sphere… These are imposed roles that shape our lives from childhood, limiting our freedoms and our future.


RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES: The commemoration or celebration of this day generates many divided opinions that we must respect in order to achieve a diverse yet harmonious world. That's why we're bringing you 5 ways to make the world more inclusive:

  1. Use the appropriate terms: Words matter, as they can open doors to cultivating understanding and respect.
  2. Listen to different opinions: Understanding that not everyone thinks the same is part of a world based on respect and inclusion.
  3. Challenge stereotypes: These give rise to discriminatory attitudes since people are not judged by their personality, achievements and/or abilities.


Note: "Imagine how much happier we would be, how much more freedom we would have to be ourselves, if we were not burdened by gender expectations," Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

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Student debt relief plan in the USA

A new proposal from the Biden administration would reduce payments for millions of people who took out student loans, and could cancel up to $1,442,000 of the debt depending on the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing scheduled for March 28.

The debt forgiveness plan announced in August would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in annual income. Pell Grant recipients* would receive an additional $10,000 of forgiven debt. *Pell Grants are a key federal aid program that helps students from low-income families pay for college.

The Biden administration argues that the Student Higher Education Aid Opportunities Act, better known as the Heroes Act, gives the executive branch the power to cancel federal student loan debt in the event of a national emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic.*

This law, originally enacted after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, was intended to prevent service members from being worse off financially while fighting in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The lawsuit was filed by six Republican-led states that say they would be financially harmed if the debt forgiveness program goes into effect. The other case was filed by two students in Texas who do not fully qualify for debt forgiveness under the program.

Whether or not the debt is canceled will bring changes, as determined by the court's decision. While federal student loan payments are currently suspended, this will end 60 days after the case is resolved. If the case is not resolved by June 30, payments will resume 60 days after that date.

The White House says 26 million people have applied for debt relief, and 16 million have already received it. The Congressional Budget Office has said the program will cost approximately $1.4 trillion over the next three decades.

It is not clear exactly when the Supreme Court will issue its decision, but justices normally publish their rulings at the end of the current term, which is usually in late June or early July.

Sources: CNN en Español, Telemundo 52

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Immigration dissatisfaction among Americans

The level of dissatisfaction among Americans regarding immigration has increased in the last two years. mainly due to the migration crisis at the border with Mexico, where in the last fiscal year the government detained more than 2.3 million undocumented immigrants, most of them seeking asylum.

According to a Gallup poll, the majority of the dissatisfied group (64% equivalent to 40% of US adults) He states that he wants migration to decrease. In turn, 81% of the Americans surveyed said they were dissatisfied because they want it to increase, while the remaining 151% are dissatisfied but want the level to remain the same or said they were unsure.

On the border with Mexico, where the migrant crisis of those trying to enter the United States shows no signs of abating, it is often at the center of immigration news. Meanwhile, a counter-movement is also growing: the number of Americans who settle in the neighboring country.

In 2022, a total of 11,518 Americans received temporary resident cards in Mexico, According to data from the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) of the Latin American country, the number of deaths has nearly doubled compared to the previous year, when a total of 9,086 were recorded. In other words, from 2020 to 2022 the figure almost doubled.

Although moving from the US to Mexico is a good deal for Americans who save on rent, food, and utilities, this is not necessarily the case for locals (Mexicans) who have seen housing prices rise due to demand from foreigners.*

Today, thanks to remote work, some Americans "move to Mexico because it's cheap, not because they really want to participate in the local culture or because they're interested in Mexico," says Professor Fernando Bustos of Anáhuac University.

For Americans, living in Mexico is a profitable option, while for those who migrate to the USA, it is often the only way to seek a better life. quality of life.

Source: CNN, Telemundo and Univision.

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40 tunnels discovered between the United States and Mexico

While President Trump was building more than 482 km of his border wall, between 2017 and 2021, Customs and Border Protection discovered almost a new tunnel per month; within these tunnels, the longest ever discovered was found, which was about 731 meters long.

The construction of the border wall, which cost $1.4 billion, has not served its intended purpose, as it has not prevented smugglers from building 40 tunnels under the border or using ladders or power tools to cross it.

It is unknown how many migrants or drug traffickers managed to cross these tunnels. What is known is that the longest one, discovered in 2016, was equipped with rails, ventilation systems, lights, and even a sophisticated elevator, according to a summary of a 2016 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.

This is how former President Trump described the wall in response to warnings about the potential for tunnels. According to the Science and Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it has been concluded so far that no current technology is adequate for detecting tunnels under the border.

Federal authorities have detected more than 75 cross-border smuggling tunnels since 2011, most of them in California and Arizona. It is important to note that the border wall is breached nearly 11 times a day; the number of breaches reached 4,101 in 2022, the highest number recorded during that period, according to a summary of a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. 

Source: Cato, Justice.gov, El Mundo