Welcome to LAWG’s Migration News Brief, a compilation of recent top articles and reports related to issues of U.S. immigration and enforcement policy and migration from Central America and Mexico.
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U.S. Enforcement
Biden Administration Asylum Ban: Widely Opposed Misstep Violates Law and Fuels Wrongful Deportation of Refugees
Human Rights First, June 28, 2023
“On May 16, 2023, the Biden administration published a final rule (‘asylum ban’) that would, with limited exceptions, bar nearly all asylum seekers who traveled through another country on their way to the U.S. southern border, unless they (1) applied for asylum in one of those countries and received a denial, or (2) managed to secure one of the highly limited appointments to enter at an official port of entry (via a glitchy, inequitable smartphone app known as CBP One).”
How US Immigration Policy Foments Organized Crime on the US-Mexico Border
Gulf Cartel, InSight News, June 28, 2023
“However, the policies have had numerous unintended consequences, including bolstering criminal organizations along the US-Mexico border. Today, human smuggling has transformed into one of the most lucrative industries for crime groups, which have diversified beyond their traditional criminal activities of smuggling drugs and weapons.”
How Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Came to Call It Home
Edgar Sandoval, The New York Times, June 28, 2023
“It has been nine months since the government of Florida, under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, chartered two flights from Texas that picked up Ms. Cauro and 48 other newly arrived migrants and dropped them off on Martha’s Vineyard, a liberal enclave that until then had little firsthand experience with the surge in migration on the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Biden must extend protections for Nicaraguan immigrants | Opinion
Yareliz Mendez Zamora, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 26, 2023
“Unfortunately, after the Biden administration’s decision to not redesignate TPS for Nicaragua, Doña Maria Jesus is left without any protection from deportation. The ache of a president’s unwillingness to extend a protection that is within his power to immigrants who are still navigating the complexities of our immigration system is different. The pain settles in your heart.”
Border Patrol Video of Killing Shows Native Man Had No Gun, Complied with Orders
Ryan Devereaux, The Intercept, June 26, 2023
“The 58-year-old was killed in a hail of gunfire last month, after stepping outside to find nearly a dozen Border Patrol agents and at least one tribal police officer advancing on his property in the dark. Late last week, a tensely awaited medical examiner’s report ruled the case a homicide, finding that Mattia was shot nine times.”
DeSantis unveils an aggressive immigration and border security policy that largely mirrors Trump’s
Valerie Gonzalez and Steve Peoples, Associated Press, June 26, 2023
“Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis promised to end birthright citizenship, finish building the southern border wall and send U.S. forces into Mexico to combat drug cartels as part of an aggressive — and familiar — immigration policy proposal he laid out Monday in a Texas border city.”
Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: May migration data, House appropriations bill, Border Patrol-related fatalities
Adam Isacson, WOLA, June 23, 2023
“On June 20 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released data about its encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2023. This was an important transitional month, because the Title 42 pandemic expulsions policy came to an end on May 11.”
Community Explainer: Frequently Asked Questions About United States v. Texas
National Immigration Project, June 23, 2023
“On June 23, 2023, the Supreme Court issued a favorable decision in United States v. Texas, 599 U.S. (2023), a case brought by Texas and Louisiana challenging the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities. The Court held that the States lack Article III standing to challenge the priorities. All of the Justices, except Alito, agreed with the outcome. This community explainer answers frequently asked questions about the decision.”
The Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration Announces New Approach to Address the Impacts of Climate Change on Migration and Displacement
Office of the Spokesperson, U.S. Department of State, June 21, 2023
“As the world seeks to tackle the climate crisis, it is vital that we develop smart, humane policies to address the impacts of climate change on migration and displacement within countries and across borders. Climate change increasingly drives mobility and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, requiring greater support for those on the move and their host communities.”
Obstructed Legal Access: June 2023 Update
National Immigrant Justice Center, June 20, 2023
“This spring, the Biden administration relaunched a Trump-era program forcing people who ask for asylum at the southern border through expedited and truncated asylum screenings while in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. CBP’s own standards state that people should not be held in CBP custody longer than 72 hours, yet this program results in detention lasting days or even weeks longer than that. Forcing people through a complex and emotionally taxing asylum screening process in this environment inevitably results in systemic barriers to legal access and rapid deportations that send people directly back to persecution, torture, or death.”
Breaking: Facility Accused of Restricting Legal Access for Detained Immigrants
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, June 20, 2023
“The complaint was filed because immigrants held at the facility are facing restricted access to legal counsel, hampering their ability to prepare for appearances in immigration court.”
The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman’s Annual Reports to Congress
DHS, June 20, 2023
“During the past year, the resilience of our country’s immigration system was once again tested as record numbers of newcomers sought protection, a new life, or an opportunity to contribute to the United States.”
High-Stakes Asylum: How Long an Asylum Case Takes and How We Can Do Better
American Immigration Lawyers Association, June 14, 2023
“AILA released a first-of-its-kind report on asylum timelines, High-Stakes Asylum: How Long an Asylum Case Takes and How We Can Do Better. The report is based on a survey of over 300 asylum attorneys about how much time it takes to prepare an asylum application, and what complications add significant time. High-Stakes Asylum also includes recommendations on how to inject efficiency into the existing asylum process and ensure the integrity of a system that has life and death consequences.”
Mexican Enforcement
Inicia INM trámite para dar residencia a familia de niña nacida en autobús
Lilian Hernández Osorio, La Jornada, 28 de junio de 2023
“El Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) inició el procedimiento migratorio para que la familia de la niña que nació en un autobús, en el que viajaban migrantes centroamericanos, obtenga la residencia permanente (madre e hija de tres años)”.
Gobierno aumentó 36% despliegue militar para contener migrantes
Sergio Camona, Vanguardia, 27 de junio de 2023
“Un informe presentado en la mañanera indica que, del 13 al 26 de junio, fueron desplegados 31 mil 730 efectivos de la Guardia Nacional en las dos fronteras, mientras que en el último reporte, 30 de mayo al 12 de junio, eran 23 mil 358 elementos. En octubre de 2018, como presidente electo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador ofreció a los centroamericanos que les daría trabajo y protección en su camino hacia EU. Sin embargo, su Gobierno ha prohibido a oficinas estatales del INM otorgar documentos que permitan a los viajeros transitar por el país y ha cerrado estaciones migratorias”.
Más de mil 600 migrantes venezolanos han pedido asilo desde Nuevo Laredo
Carlos Figueroa, La Jornada, 27 de junio de 2023
“Suman más de mil 600 migrantes venezolanos que se han desplazado a la frontera de Nuevo Laredo-Laredo, Texas, al estar cruzando a Estados Unidos para solicitar asilo, mientras que en otros puntos de la zona norte de México, deben esperar una cita que tarda varios meses. Hay también colombianos, costarricenses y salvadoreños”.
Embajador Ken Salazar reconoce esfuerzos de México y EU para frenar la crisis de fentanilo
Eduardo Dina Dina, El Universal, 27 de junio de 2023
“Ken Salazar, embajador de Estados Unidos en México, reconoció que los esfuerzos contra el fentanilo deben ser globales y por eso, ambos países trabajan juntos en esta lucha, con el impulso de ‘niveles de cooperación históricos’ en ambos lados de frontera para frenar el tráfico de esta droga. En una declaración, Salazar destacó el anunció que hizo el Gobierno de México por el decomiso de más de mil 700 kilos de fentanilo en la primera mitad del 2023”.
Rescatan a 130 migrantes que eran trasladados en cuatro camiones en el tramo Hermosillo-Nogales
Santiago García C., Dossier Político, 21 de junio de 2023
“La Guardia Nacional informó que en coordinación con el Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM), rescataron en Sonora a 130 personas migrantes de distintas nacionalidades que viajaban en cuatro autobuses de pasajeros que se dirigían a la frontera. Durante un operativo de revisión a las unidades en el kilómetro 146 de la carretera Hermosillo-Nogales, por parte de los elementos de ambas instituciones, se localizaron a estas personas de diferentes nacionalidades”.
Política migratoria obliga a migrantes a tomar rutas más peligrosas
Maritza Pérez, El Economista, 19 de junio de 2023
“La política migratoria ‘militarizada, represiva y violenta’, obliga a las personas que se desplazan por el sur de México a tomar opciones y rutas cada vez más peligrosas que ponen en riesgo su vida e integridad, además de las violencias específicas a que se enfrentan las mujeres y niñas, y personas de la diversidad sexual, señala un informe del Colectivo Monitoreo — Frontera Sur en 2022, de la Universidad Iberoamericana”.
Guardia Nacional en México investiga video de supuesto militar extorsionando a grupo de migrantes a cambio de dejarlos transitar
El Diario, 16 de junio de 2023
“La Guardia Nacional en México informó que inició una investigación interna a raíz de la divulgación de un video en el que se ve a un presunto elemento de esa entidad extorsionando a migrantes en Chihuahua. El video que se ha popularizado en redes habría sido grabado en el aeropuerto internacional de ese estado. Las supuestas víctimas de los oficiales eran de origen colombiano. En las imágenes, se aprecia cuando uno de estos militares recibe dinero en dólares por parte de migrantes a bordo de un vehículo a cambio de permitirle salir del aeródromo”.
Root Causes
Mexico
Former anti-kidnapping head arrested in Mexico’s Ayotzinapa case
AlJazeera, June 27, 2023
“The former head of Mexico’s federal anti-kidnapping unit has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 43 college students in 2014, an incident that has raised questions about the influence of organised crime within the government.”
Mexico’s Forgotten Mayors: The Role of Local Government in Fighting Crime
International Crisis Group, June 23, 2023
“Mexican mayors – who are prime targets of organised crime – have been moved to the rear in the fight to contain it. Local corruption and the sheer magnitude of violence prodded national authorities to strip municipal governments of power and turn to the military to oversee public safety.”
Nayarit: Ordenan eliminar informe sobre desapariciones forzadas por amparo a exgobernador
Aristegui Noticias, 23 de junio de 2023
“En un hecho inédito, la Comisión Nacional de Búsqueda (CNB) tendrá que eliminar la publicación del análisis de contexto que hizo sobre la desaparición de personas —que en su mayoría se presume la participación del Estado— en Nayarit entre 2011 y 2017, a partir de un amparo que obtuvo a su favor el exgobernador Roberto Sandoval Castañeda”.
Mexican Court Strikes Down President’s Bid to Remake Election Laws
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, The New York Times, June 22, 2023
“Mexico’s highest court on Thursday struck down a key piece of a sweeping electoral bill backed by the president that would have undermined the agency that oversees the country’s vote, and that helped shift the nation away from single-party rule.”
Mexico’s president weaponizes narratives against media to combat criticism
Estefanny Perez Duque and Esteban Ponce de León, DFRLab, June 21, 2023
“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s daily press conferences have evolved into a platform for intensifying attacks on media outlets, opposition figures, and crucial democratic institutions like the National Electoral Institute (INE).”
Arrest of Mexican Army General Ordered in Case of Missing Students
Natalie Kitroeff, The New York Times, June 21, 2023
“Mexican prosecutors have obtained a warrant for the arrests of an Army general and 15 other soldiers in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, a crime considered one of the worst atrocities in the country’s recent history.”
Mexico asks Israel for second time to extradite ex-official accused of torture
Brendan O’Boyle, Reuters, June 20, 2023
“President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requesting help extraditing Tomas Zeron, head of Mexico’s criminal investigation agency between 2014-2016 under the previous administration.”
La Suprema Corte prepara la anulación de todo el “plan B” electoral de López Obrador
Zedryk Raziel, El País, 20 de junio de 2023
“En cuestión de días el pleno votará un proyecto del ministro Javier Laynez que propone anular la segunda parte del “plan B” electoral del Gobierno, un paquete de reformas con las que el oficialismo pretendía recortar recursos y atribuciones del INE, el órgano autónomo que organiza las elecciones en México”.
AMLO’s Forever Agenda
Alejandra Soto, Americas Quarterly, June 20, 2023
“Heading into Mexico’s election season, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) remains one of the world’s most popular leaders, with one polling aggregator putting his approval at 67%. Although he cannot run for reelection, several recent moves suggest the president believes his popularity will allow him to continue to dictate policy well after he leaves office. He may well be right.”
Guatemala
Arévalo Breaks into Presidential Runoff for Center-Left Surprise in Guatemala
Roman Gressier, El Faro, June 26, 2023
“With 98 percent of ballots counted at 9 ET on Monday, social-democrat Congressman Bernardo Arévalo of the Semilla (“Seed”) party shocked Guatemala’s political scene by grabbing second place in the presidential election (11.9 percent of the vote) alongside running mate Karin Herrera, a biology professor from the country’s public university.”
El sorpresivo paso de Arévalo a segunda vuelta desafía a las élites de Guatemala
Julie López, El Faro, 26 de junio de 2023
“La gran sorpresa de las elecciones generales en Guatemala, el pasado 25 de junio, fue el paso a segunda vuelta de Bernardo Arévalo De León, candidato presidencial del partido Semilla, a quien la última encuesta de intención de voto (tres días previo a los comicios) ubicaba en un octavo lugar. La segunda vuelta se realizará el 20 de agosto”.
Bernardo Arévalo, el hombre que dejó en ridículo a las encuestadoras en las elecciones de Guatemala
Efe, InfoBae, 26 de junio de 2023
“A Bernardo Arévalo de León no le molesta que le digan ‘tío Bernie dentro de la política guatemalteca. Es más, según ha dicho, hasta le agrada con sus votantes el apodo, que hace referencia a su nombre pero también al político de izquierda estadounidense Bernie Sanders”.
Allegations of Electoral Court Bribery Fuel Doubts about Legitimacy of Guatemalan Election
José Luis Sanz and Roman Gressier, El Faro, June 23, 2023
“On Wednesday Miguel Martínez spoke to journalists about an explosive New York Times report: that Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) magistrate Blanca Alfaro went to the U.S. Embassy last year and presented “a cash package” —50,000 quetzales; about $6,000 USD— that he allegedly gave her and other magistrates on behalf of President Alejandro Giammattei.”
Guatemala en la encrucijada: Elecciones marcadas por las irregularidades y la incertidumbre
Daniel Zovatto y Manfredo Marroquín, Wilson Center, 23 de junio de 2023
“Este domingo, Guatemala se enfrenta a unas elecciones complejas y cruciales que determinarán su futuro político en medio de condiciones extremadamente adversas. El proceso electoral se ve opacado por una intensa judicialización, la falta de garantías electorales, prohibiciones de candidaturas, múltiples denuncias e irregularidades y un creciente descontento ciudadano.”
In This Election, Some Candidates Lost Before a Single Vote Was Cast
Simon Romero, Natalie Kitroeff, and Jody García, The New York Times, June 22, 2023
“The nation’s electoral agency has disqualified every serious candidate in the race who could challenge the status quo, which is embodied by President Alejandro Giammattei, a conservative who critics accuse of pushing the country toward autocracy and who is barred from running for another term.”
Perpetuating Corruption: The System Undermining the 2023 Guatemala Elections
Steven Dudley, Alex Papadovassilakis, and Edgar Guitérrez, InSight Crime, June 21, 2023
“This is the first of a seven-chapter report that delineates the evolution of organized crime in Guatemala. The report emphasizes the way organized crime has penetrated the political and judicial systems as the country heads to the polls for general elections on June 25, 2023.”
CIDH y RELE manifiestan preocupación por la condena a José Rubén Zamora en Guatemala
OEA, 21 de junio de 2023
“La Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) y su Relatoría Especial para la Libertad de Expresión (RELE) manifiestan su grave preocupación por la condena a 6 años de prisión al periodista José Rubén Zamora en Guatemala. La CIDH y su RELE urgen al Estado a respetar el derecho a la libertad de expresión y de prensa, y a abstenerse de utilizar el poder punitivo para amedrentar a personas que se manifiestan de forma crítica al Gobierno”.
Guatemala Elections: A Blurry Line Between Politics and Drugs
Alex Papadovassilakis And Jody García, InSight Crime, June 20, 2023
“Sofía Hernández has served three terms in Guatemalan Congress and will look for a fourth when Guatemalans head to the polls on June 25. So far, it has been a bumpy ride. Hernández has survived the death of the three political parties that carried her into power. The three party leaders — one a former president — were separately convicted of customs fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking. She has also faced accusations of corruption at home and abroad.”
Cómo Guatemala pasó de ser un ejemplo contra la corrupción a criminalizar a jueces, periodistas y candidatos electorales
Marcos González Díaz, BBC, 19 de junio de 2023
“Con ambas declaraciones sobre Guatemala –la primera se refiere a la Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad (Cicig) de la ONU, que fue expulsada en 2019– la Oficina Humanitaria de Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos (WOLA) describió la evolución vivida en los últimos años por el país centroamericano”.
Guatemala: An Election Enshrined in Impunity
Edgar Gutiérrez, InSight Crime, June 19, 2023
“But this is not a regular election. Three top candidates have been excluded based on questionable judicial complaints: the left-wing Indigenous leader Thelma Cabrera; Roberto Arzú, right-wing and anti-status quo; and Carlos Pineda, a populist landowner and businessman, unknown until recently, who jumped to the top of the polls by demonizing the regime and mounting an effective campaign via social networks.”
La corrupción y las críticas a las autoridades electorales marcan la recta final de la campaña en Guatemala
Carlos S. Maldonado, El País, 19 de junio de 2023
“Guatemala, el país que hace ocho años protagonizó una primavera democrática que derribó al expresidente Otto Pérez Molina, acudirá a las urnas el próximo domingo con altos índices de impunidad y pocas esperanzas de cambio”.
Elecciones Guatemala 2023: el abstencionismo acecha votaciones, pero presidenciables y sectores creen que habrá participación histórica
R. Bolaños, A. Domínguez, L. Álvarez y H. Cordero, Prensa Libre, 19 de junio de 2023
“Mientras se acerca el evento electoral, la sombra del abstencionismo acecha, sin embargo, los mismos presidenciables y otros sectores creen que la participación será histórica a pesar de los procesos legales que han empañado la dinámica electoral”.
Change Isn’t on the Ballot in Guatemala’s Presidential Election
James Bosworth, World Politics Review, June 19, 2023
“There is a fairly good reason for Guatemala’s citizens to want change. A significant portion of the country lives in poverty, with an estimated two-thirds of the population living on less than $2 per day. According to the World Food Program, 46 percent of Guatemala’s children under five years of age suffer from stunting, a lack of growth due to malnutrition. It’s the worst rate in the hemisphere and one of the highest rates in the world, and it disproportionately impacts rural and Indigenous communities.”
A dictator’s daughter runs for president, unleashing memories of Guatemala’s dark past
Leila Miller, Los Angeles Times, June 12, 2023
“When the military invaded his Guatemalan mountain town in the early 1980s, De Paz and his Maya family abandoned their animals and their straw-roofed home and fled into the woods. They hid as Gen. Efraín Ríos Montt’s security forces burned villages and massacred Indigenous civilians they suspected of collaborating with leftist guerrillas.”
Así construyó Giammattei su ejército de alcaldes para las elecciones 2023
Carlos Raúl Kestler, Ana Lucía González e Isaías Morales, CICLOSCAP
“Asignación selectiva de obra pública, incremento de los subsidios a adultos mayores y posible tráfico de influencias. Con múltiples estrategias, algunas probablemente ilegales, el gobierno del presidente Alejandro Giammattei y su partido, Vamos, lograron que en el último año se pasen a sus filas 144 nuevos alcaldes en busca de reelección, la mayor cantidad alcanzada por un partido oficial en una década”.
Honduras
Honduras adopts El Salvador-style tactics in anti-gang crackdown on prison inmates
Associated Press, June 26, 2023
“Authorities in Honduras forced inmates to sit half-naked in tight rows while they searched for contraband in a sweep of prisons Monday, similar to the harsh tactics of neighboring El Salvador. They also arrested a suspect in a weekend pool hall shooting that killed 11 people.”
Curfews imposed after more than 20 killed in north Honduras
Reuters, June 25, 2023
“The Honduran government announced curfews on Sunday in two northern cities after more than 20 people were killed overnight in separate attacks amid escalating violence in the country.”
Niegan cambio de medidas para Nolvia Obando, presa desde el 16 de marzo de 2023 por defender la tierra
Alerta Defensoras, 23 de junio de 2023
“La Corte de Apelaciones ha denegado el cambio de medidas solicitadas por Nolvia Obando, por lo que deberá permanecer en prisión preventiva, situación en la que se encuentra desde el pasado 16 de marzo, cuando fue detenida tras el desalojo policial que vivió junto a sus compañeras de la Red de Mujeres Campesinas Las Galileas”.
Gang slaughtered 46 women at Honduran prison with machetes, guns and flammable liquid, official says
Marlon González, Associated Press, June 22, 2023
“Gang members in a women’s prison in Honduras slaughtered 46 other women inmates by spraying them with gunfire, hacking them with machetes and then locking survivors in their cells and dousing them with flammable liquid, an official said Wednesday.”
Massacre in Honduran Women’s Prison: A Tragedy Foretold
Victoria Dittmar, InSight Crime, June 21, 2023
“The recent murder of dozens of women in Honduras’ only all-female prison took place in a context of growing gang tensions that had been underestimated by authorities.”
Tragedia en Támara: “Ya sabían que las iban a matar”
Reportar Sin Miedo, 21 de junio de 2023
“Fuentes consultadas por Reporteros de Investigación y Reportar sin Miedo hablaron sobre el temor de morir que tenían muchas de las privadas de libertad del módulo de la MS. Habían recibido instrucciones de las coordinadoras de no salir ni recibir el sol cuando les tocaba recreación. También les pidieron limitar las visitas de sus familiares”.
Leader of Honduran anti-corruption group leaves country under threats
Marlon González, ABCNews, June 19, 2023
“The director of a Honduran anti-corruption organization has fled the country with her family over threats she received in the month since publishing a report on nepotism inside the administration of President Xiomara Castro. The National Anti-Corruption Council has been reporting alleged wrongdoing in successive Honduran administrations for nearly a decade. On May 25, it warned of the dangers posed by a ‘concentration of power’ from government posts going to the sons and other relatives of Castro and her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya.”
Honduras se rezaga en lucha contra la corrupción
Eva Galeas, Reportar Sin Miedo, 17 de junio de 2023
“Tras más de un año de gobierno de Xiomara Castro, se ha hecho poco para combatir a los corruptos, según Human Rights Watch. ‘La percepción de muchos es que este gobierno nos ha dado atole con el dedo’, alertó Jimena Merino”.
Crisis climática golpea a Honduras
Dennis Arita, Reportar Sin Miedo, 16 de junio de 2023
“Inseguridad alimentaria y aguda escasez de agua podría causar la sequía meteorológica en Honduras. La crisis climática obligó al gobierno de Honduras a decretar alerta roja ayer en 140 municipios del país”.
Luchar por los bienes comunes es correr peligro de muerte en Honduras
Eva Galeas, Reportar Sin Miedo, 15 de junio de 2023
“Cada día son más las y los hondureños que ponen en peligro su vida por la lucha de sus tierras ancestrales, territorio, bienes comunes y la defensa de la vida ante grupos de poder y élites empresariales que pretenden despojarlos de lo poco que les queda”.
Funcionarios del Gobierno realizan inspección y mediciones de territorio garífuna en Trujillo
Alerta Defensoras, 15 de junio de 2023
“El miércoles 14 de junio del 2023 una comisión conformada por altos funcionarios del Instituto Nacional Agrario (INA) de la oficina de Tegucigalpa, el Ministerio Público y Policía nacional hicieron inspección y medición de tierra en las comunidades pertenecientes al pueblo garífuna de Trujillo a solicitud de la familia Crespo, quien ha usurpado las tierras de las comunidades”.
El Salvador
El Salvador’s president is running for reelection, though critics say the constitution prohibits him
Associated Press, June 26, 2023
“El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has registered to run for reelection next year, his party announced Monday, despite objections from legal experts and opposition figures who say the country’s constitution prohibits his candidacy.”
Acquittal of Top MS13 Leader Weakens El Salvador’s Anti-Gang Rhetoric
Gavin Voss, InSight Crime, June 20, 2023
“A notorious drug trafficker and MS13 leader has been acquitted of drug trafficking charges in El Salvador, highlighting a contrast between the government’s lenient approach to some gang leaders and its harsh treatment of rank-and-file members.”
June 9th, 2023: El Salvador’s Continued State of Exception
LatinoMediaCollective, June 9, 2023
“On this episode, the LMC welcomes Yesenia Portillo, the program director for CISPES, to discuss the latest actions by Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele under the state of exception as it ramps up its criminalization of union and environmental activists.”
Regional
For Central America, climate bill could top hundreds of billions annually
Dimitri Selibas, Mongabay, June 21, 2023
“Climate change impacts could cost countries in Central America up to $314 billion per year by 2100 if ecosystem services provided by the region’s forests are affected, a recent study has found. It warns this could severely affect the region’s low- and middle-income countries, which could suffer losses more than three times their GDP.”
Regional Overview Latin America & the Caribbean May 2023
ACLED, June 8, 2023
“Brazil: Violence erupts between the PCC and Indigenous population over the control of Indigenous Yanomami territory. Colombia: Gunmen kill pre-elections candidates, while the government suspends ceasefire with the Central General Staff. Haiti: Decrease in gang attacks on civilians amid ongoing anti-gang police operations and vigilante violence. Mexico: The CJNG’s alleged expansion in Tamaulipas state triggers escalating conflict. Paraguay: Supporters of third-place finisher Paraguayo Cubas demonstrate over claims of electoral irregularities. Trinidad and Tobago: Unidentified gunmen increase attacks on civilians amid concerns over criminality and organized crime.”
Linking Migrant Reintegration Assistance and Development Goals
Camille Le Coz and Ravenna Sohst, Migration Policy Institute, June 2023
“For migrants returning to their countries of origin, whether because they do not have a right or a desire to stay in their destination country, assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) programs offer a safe and dignified way to do so.”
Migration Narratives in Northern Central America: How Competing Stories Shape Policy and Public Opinion in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador
Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, Alejandra Lopez, and Alejandro Vélez Salas, Migration Policy Institute, June, 2023
“The stories told within a society about migration and migrants paint a rich picture of how its members view the opportunities and challenges associated with the movement of people, and through what lenses. These migration narratives both inform policymaking and shape the public’s reaction to government policy, affecting the policies’ chances of achieving their goals.”
Gender and LGBTQ+
Esfuerzos regionales hacia la igualdad LGBTQIA+
OAS, 26 de junio de 2023
“Nuestro trabajo propende porque todos los estados en la región fortalezcan sus políticas públicas en materia de inclusión de esta población históricamente marginada y especial por la ampliación de aquellas de aquellas medias estatales conducentes a mejorar los estándares de vida de la poblaciones rurales LGBTQIA+”.
Piden enfoque LGBTQ+ en búsqueda de personas desaparecidas
SIDIDH, 26 de junio de 2023
“Con el fin de visibilizar las desapariciones de personas LGBTIQ+, familiares y miembros de dicha comunidad se manifestaron en la Marcha del Orgullo de la Ciudad de México para exigir verdad, memoria y justicia por quienes no se sabe su localización. El contingente, que estuvo acompañado por la Oficina en México del Alto Comisionado de la ONU para los Derechos Humanos (ONU-DH), exigió la implementación de protocolos específicos que coadyuven en la búsqueda y localización de este sector. Asimismo, demandó que el Estado garantice búsquedas e investigaciones con enfoque diferenciado y de género”.
Amid an already difficult immigration system, LGBTQ asylum seekers are in ‘grave danger’
Jeff Brumley, Baptist News Global, June 23, 2023
“The Biden administration’s asylum restrictions place LGBTQ migrants in grave danger by exposing them to longer waits in nations hostile to those with alternative sexual orientations and gender identities, immigration rights advocates said during a June 22 webinar.”
No Pride Without LGBTQ2S+ Access to Asylum
Welcome With Dignity, June 22, 2023
“‘Having personally endured the perils of the Remain in Mexico program under the previous administration, I am deeply troubled by the ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. The policies may have changed, but the situation has only worsened, leaving them in a constant state of vulnerability and uncertainty. The lack of security, basic resources, and adequate shelters continues to exacerbate the already dire situation faced by LGBTQ+ asylum seekers…’”
Biden asylum ‘travel ban’ placing LGBTQ migrants in harm’s way, advocates say
Julia Resendiz, Border Report, June 22, 2023
“Title 42 expulsions are no more, but policies such as the Biden administration’s online asylum applications and a so-called “travel ban” are putting LGBTQ migrants in harm’s way, according to U.S. and Latin American advocates. That’s because online appointments take time and force the migrants to wait in countries where discrimination and violence based on gender orientation are palpable; likewise, forcing LGBTQ migrants to first apply for protection in those countries is wrong, a group of advocates assembled by the Welcome With Dignity campaign said Thursday on a Zoom call.”
Actions, Alerts, and Resources
No fue el incendio/It wasn’t the fire: Mexico-USA con lxs migrantes/ In solidarity with migrants
Nuestra Lucha Global and Nuestra Red, June 30, 2023
“El Movimiento de los Pueblos por La Paz y la Justicia convoca a organizaciones, colectivos y ciudadanía a manifestarse en pueblos y ciudades de la region, para solidarizarse y exigir justicia para las personas migrantes de la región.
10:00 a.m. Ciudad de México:
Instituto Nacional de Migración
Sección Palmas, Av Ejército Nacional Mexicano 862, Polanco IISecc. Miguel Hidalgo 11530, CDMX
12:00pm San Francisco California
Consulado General de México
532 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94105
12:00pm Nueva York
Federal Plaza
Lafayette Street Worth Street, Centre St, New York, NY 10013”.
Beatriz, un legado de lucha por la vida
Justicia para Beatriz
“¡Únete! Suma tu firma y se parte del movimiento que busca Justicia para Beatriz y su familia. Te compartiremos diferentes maneras en las que puedes promover los derechos de las mujeres y niñas en América Latina”.
Beyond Pride 2023: Social Media Toolkit
Refugee Council USA, June 2023
“While June may be coming to a close, the work of centering LGBTQIA+ displaced people must continue. RCUSA celebrates some of our favorite organizations leading the work year ‘round, calling on organizations and individuals to take action by supporting queer groups, and messaging their members of Congress through an action alert.”
Stand with the People of Honduras Against Corporate Greed
Global Trade Watch Action
“Sign the Solidarity Statement: We stand in solidarity with the people of Honduras and condemn U.S. company Próspera’s $11 billion case against the will of the people.”
- *The Migration News Brief is a selection of relevant news articles, all of which do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the Latin America Working Group.
P.S. Do you know of someone who might be interested in receiving the Migration News Brief? Tell them to email tdelmoral@lawg.org.
