Confused and distraught Venezuelan migrants showed up at the Brownsville port of entry Friday morning seeking answers a day after the U.S. changed the way they process migrants from that country.
Dozens of migrants, hands painted white, indicating that they came in peace, showed up at the Gateway International Bridge around 9 a.m. The protest lasted until about 2 p.m. and caused government officials to close it down.
Among the protestors, was a man former Venezuelan who worked in the military but fled after reporting corruption and surviving an assassination plot against him. For security reasons, his name was changed to David.
David was among nearly 100 migrants from Venezuela who crossed into the U.S. and were sent back to Mexico on Thursday.
“We were shocked. We couldn’t breathe enough to say anything,” David said Friday. David crossed through Eagle Pass, others passed through other ports of entry, but they somehow ended up in Brownsville.
The United States was allowing many fleeing a humanitarian and economic crisis in Venezuela to stay in the country, but that changed Thursday following an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security.
“Effective immediately, Venezuelans who enter the United States between ports of entry, without authorization, will be returned to Mexico,” the announcement stated. “Almost four times as many Venezuelans as last year attempted to cross our southern border, placing their lives in the hands of ruthless smuggling organizations.”
David said he entered before the date of the announcement, on Monday, along with many of the others who were sent back to Mexico. He didn’t understand why he was sent to the border city of Matamoros, even though he crossed through Piedras Negras, a city with decreased cartel activity.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not return a request for comment addressing that question; however, Border Patrol routinely sends migrants from areas of high traffic to other sectors that have fewer people crossing to distribute the processing work.
While David traveled alone, others crossed as married couples. Some of them were separated during the process, according to some accounts.
“Some people came with their wives and they were separated. And they didn’t know where their wives were,” Felicia Rangel-Samponaro said. She and Victor Cavazos, co-founders of the nonprofit organization helping migrants in Tamaulipas, the Sidewalk School, made their way into Matamoros that morning through the Veterans International Bridge. Both talked to migrants on the bridge who had more questions than answers. “While we were on the bridge, one gentleman received a call from his wife. She was up in Piedras Negras by herself. He was standing there in Matamoros,” Rangel-Samponaro said.
“The majority of them crossed through Ciudad Juarez with family members. One man had crossed with his mom and sisters, and he had no idea where they were,” Cavazos added.
Rangel-Samponaro and Cavazos noted they didn’t see or hear that any children were affected, but they were disturbed by other details shared with them by the group.
Some of the migrants on the bridge were in federal custody for up to nine days but only received apples to eat and water drink without access to showers. Others reported their documents were taken, but not returned.
Routinely, Border Patrol will take and bag the property of migrants, like their phones, documents, or other valuables, and allow them to collect it afterward. Without their documentation, it can severely impact their opportunity to make their claims to seek asylum into the U.S.
Even those who did get their property back, did not always receive it in working order.
“They would throw the phones into the bags, ‘plunck, plunck.’ A lot of phones broke or didn’t want to turn on, because in a lot of the places we were taken, they’d throw down our belongings and told us to get our property,” David said.
David carries careful documentation of the threats and injustices he suffered on his phone. He believes the Bible he carried with him that was in the property bag along with his phone helped protect it from breaking.
Many of the migrants who arrived in Matamoros were confused after they saw that only Venezuelans were loaded onto the bus that took them to the bridge. David said he saw all others from Panama, Nicaragua, and other countries were left behind.
He showed up to the bridge the next day, Friday, to seek some clarity about their status.
“They told us in Mexico that we weren’t deported, but we don’t really know because no one told us anything,” David said, referring to U.S. authorities.
Rangel-Samponaro and Cavazos showed up to speak to some of them and share their knowledge about their options. Many showed interest in moving to Reynosa.
“They were like, oh, let’s go to Reynosa. But I said, hey, there are thousands of people who are homeless right now in Reynosa. Trust me, you don’t want to go there,” Rangel-Samponaro said.
Capacity in Tamaulipas shelters continues to concern nonprofit organizations and volunteers who are already overwhelmed by the number of people sent back to Mexico under a pandemic-induced public health policy and by the many who wait for the policy to be lifted.
The door isn’t closed to all Venezuelan migrants, however. The U.S. will allow 24,000 Venezuelans to come into the country through a process similar to that used to allow entry to Ukrainians.
In order to be eligible, Venezuelans must have a supporter in the United States who will provide financial and other support; pass rigorous biometric and biographic national security and public safety screening and vetting; and complete vaccinations and other public health requirements.
“These actions make clear that there is a lawful and orderly way for Venezuelans to enter the United States,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated in the announcement. “Those who attempt to cross the southern border of the United States illegally will be returned to Mexico and will be ineligible for this process in the future. Those who follow the lawful process will have the opportunity to travel safely to the United States and become eligible to work here.”
