The Biden administration has asked contractors to submit bids for maintenance on “tactical infrastructure” in the Tucson sector, which includes concertina wire in Nogales put up during the Trump administration.
A chronology of events related to U.S. border governance and migration
February 25, 2021
Lawyers are still trying to locate the parents of 506 children (down from 611 a month ago) separated under the Zero-Tolerance Policy, according to a recent court filing.
February 24, 2021
A GAO report found that the Pentagon did not fully evaluate costs and effects on readiness associated with deploying troops to the US-Mexico border under Trump. The DOD developed rough, unreliable cost estimates and failed to fully disclose some costs, such as benefits for National Guardsmen and installation. DHS also disclosed that they would like troops to remain at the border for at least three years, though the mission is only approved through fiscal year 2021.
February 24, 2021
UN agencies began processing individuals and families enrolled in the Remain in Mexico program from the Matamoros migrant camp for entry to the United States. Both the US and Mexican governments have asked the UN to aid in the process, and the International Organization for Migration is administering Covid tests to migrants.
February 24, 2021
Several Congresspeople issued a letter calling on DHS Secretary Mayorkas to end Title 42 expulsions as soon as possible. The letter, signed by more than 60 representatives, strongly condemns the measure and urges a repeal.
February 23, 2021
A Trump-era facility in Carrizo Springs, Texas was reopened to serve as a “temporary influx center” to hold unaccompanied migrant children while ORR works to connect them with sponsors in the United States.
February 22, 2021
A Venezuelan woman drowned while trying to cross the freezing Rio Grande near Piedras Negras, Mexico.
February 19, 2021
Some Remain in Mexico enrollees are being allowed into the United States as of Friday, February 19, first at the San Diego port of entry and later through Brownsville and El Paso as well. Processing will be slow at first, with only a few hundred entering per day.
February 19, 2021
An 8-year-old Honduran boy drowned attempting to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas.
February 19, 2021
The mayor of Del Rio, Texas posted a YouTube video in which he urged the Biden administration to stop releasing migrants awaiting court dates into his town. Citing recent winter storms, power outages, and lack of access to food, the mayor claimed that Del Rio did not have the means to safely accommodate the migrants, especially in the midst of a pandemic.
February 18, 2021
A briefing published by the Transnational Institute shows how leading US border security contractors and their campaign contributions have helped shape a bipartisan movement to militarize the border over the last 3 decades. Top companies donated $40 million to both parties during the 2020 election cycle.
February 18, 2021
Border Patrol says it has apprehended more than twice as many migrant children since January 1st in the Yuma sector than during the same period in 2019, with most coming from Central America.
February 18, 2021
A Honduran father and son were among the first Remain in Mexico enrollees to be admitted into the U.S. under the Biden administration. While in Mexico, the father was kidnapped, beaten, and held for ransom.
February 17, 2021
Border Patrol agents seized a drone carrying 1 pound of methamphetamine that crashed onto a roof in San Diego. Drone smuggling has increased in recent years as the technology becomes cheaper and more accessible.
February 16, 2021
Although the Mexican government promised to provide upwards of 3,500 jobs for migrants in the Remain in Mexico program, according to the Mexican Secretary of Labor only 64 were actually employed due partially to the fact that many migrants were never issued work permits.
February 16, 2021
Freezing weather, with temperatures dropping to 25 degrees, has hit a migrant camp in Matamoros where Remain in Mexico enrollees await their turn to enter the United States.
February 15, 2021
Two migrants sustained serious injuries after falling from the border wall near New Mexico and were expelled to Mexico instead of receiving medical attention, despite not being able to stand on their own.
February 11, 2021
President Biden rescinded the declaration of national emergency at the border issued by the Trump administration in 2019 to divert funds from other agencies to border wall construction.
February 11, 2021
78,323 migrants have been reportedly processed or apprehended during the month of January, a slight uptick from the previous month. Rates of migrants trying to cross the border more than once are up to 38 percent from 7 percent.
February 11, 2021
The Biden administration will soon begin admitting migrants enrolled in the Remain in Mexico program. The plan starts slowly at three ports of entry, targets those who still have active cases in US immigration courts, and will be based on the date of enrollment in the program, with exceptions made for especially vulnerable migrants.