International Discord, Policy Change, and Crisis Abroad 
 

In 2022, there has been a record-breaking surge in migration. This significant influx has even shaken the USA and especially Southern Border states. The surge can be related to a multitude of issues that add further complexity to this already growing crisis. 

To begin, the lifting restrictions of COVID-19 has encouraged more to cross the border, as well as the ‘supposed’ termination of Title 42 on December 21, 2022. However, the Supreme Court decided to extend Title 42 just days before it was meant to end, despite the fact that this policy is in gross violation of international refugee law, as it facilitates discriminatory denials of access to asylum based on nationality and race. Furthermore, Title 42 allows border control to deport immigrants to Mexico or their home countries without verifying whether migrants would be safe to return. Many are forced into Juarez, one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico, especially for women where the rate of femicide has doubled in past years. 

Title 42 is also being attributed to the huge influx of unaccompanied minors. Many families have sent their children alone across the border since Biden’s ruling that minors would be excluded from the policy in hopes that they might finally find safety across the border. 

Despite the fact that Title 42 has been extended, many remain unaware or feel they have no choice but to try and cross the border as the circumstances at home are simply too precarious. The majority of migrants are coming from Venezuela, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba. People are fleeing from oppressive governments, gang violence, poverty, and climate disasters. As a result, the US has seen a radical increase in immigration, with 2.76 million people crossing the border in 2022, breaking the previous annual record of more than 1 million.

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