In its effort to distract from its role in helping create the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Biden administration has insisted they are handling the issue of illegal immigration by working with Northern Triangle countries to address the "root causes" of the migrant crisis.
Allegedly being coordinated by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Biden administration's strategy means providing more taxpayer-funded aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to try to stop people — who often cite the Biden administration's open border rhetoric and policies — from coming to the United States.
My recent trip to Arizona further highlighted such efforts are not only not working, but they're ignorant of the fact many of those illegally crossing into the United States are not coming from just El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Spending most of two days by what Border Patrol agents jokingly call the "Morelos Dam Port of Entry" in the border town of Yuma, I met people from Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and, most shockingly, Uzbekistan.
The first group of Uzbeks who crossed into the U.S. were a family unit, a husband and wife with their two young children. I was the first person to "greet" them as there was no Border Patrol around by the gap in the border wall system that was created when President Joe Biden halted construction of Trump's border barriers. I tried speaking to them in Spanish, asking where they were from and if they were looking for Border Patrol.
The man looked at me as if I was speaking gibberish. Granted, my Spanish is not that great, but I know how to ask those questions. I switched to English, again to no avail. Finally, the man said, "Uzbekistan." It was then I noticed the family didn't look Hispanic. I had so many questions, such as, "how the heck did you make that journey," but the language barrier proved to be more effective than the border wall riddled with gaps. I motioned for the family to stay on the levee because the "police" would be here soon. One agent finally arrived and began processing the family.
This family that just crossed the Colorado River told me they’re from Uzbekistan, that’s a first one for me. pic.twitter.com/YPzfQdcP87
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 7, 2021
About 30 minutes later, three adult males walked through the gap to turn themselves over to a Border Patrol agent. Once again, the agent tried speaking to them in Spanish who in turn gave him the same confused look the man had given me earlier. One of the men took out his green passport and said, "Uzbekistan." I walked up to them and asked if I could take a picture of their passports to have proof that I wasn't hallucinating.
Three adult males who illegally crossed into the US here in Yuma showed me their Uzbekistan passports. They turned themselves in to the BP agent who was by the gap in the border wall. pic.twitter.com/94z4UoFQwU
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 7, 2021
It was a scene that played out all day with different nationalities. Oftentimes Border Patrol was not present at the three gaps near Morelos Dam, but luckily for them, these people were not runners since they wanted to be caught. As Spencer reported last week, I was told by a source there was not a single agent actively patrolling the 60 mile stretch between Morelos Dam and Calexico, California. There was one agent in a van who was the lone person waiting for illegal immigrants to give themselves up. Most of the agents on duty that day who would normally have been out in the field were busy processing people who had turned themselves in.
Across the Colorado River in Mexico, you can easily see the cars drop people off, but a large Nicaraguan group was dropped off by a bus. While most of the group was able to rush down into the ravine to start crossing, three Mexican police pickup trucks prevented the stragglers from crossing over. Much like what happens with Border Patrol, the illegal traffic picked up again once Mexican police left the area.
Biggest group I’ve seen so far today illegally crossing into the US. A bus dropped them off but Mexican police responded and stopped some of them. The rest made it across the river. pic.twitter.com/rjPHjLq0Cu
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 7, 2021
The last big group I encountered surprised me because it was the first time in my many weeks at the southern border where I met a group of Mexicans — including a husband, 18-years-old, with his 17-year-old-wife — from Chiapas trying to make their way to New Jersey because the wife's mother lives there. It was also the only time I encountered a Guatemalan, who was part of the group, during my time in Yuma.
How do Border Patrol agents feel about all this? While they're glad they are not nearly as overwhelmed as the Rio Grande Valley Sector or the Del Rio Sector, they still acknowledge the Yuma Sector is in trouble.
Townhall Media/Julio Rosas
In a move that could be described as only being able to laugh at the situation, someone, presumably an agent, had written "Uber" on the side of a van they were using to transport the immigrants who presented themselves for apprehension. As the sun began to set, I wondered who was able to get away and what they were able to get away with since Border Patrol was bogged down with family units and unaccompanied minors.
This fiscal year, Customs and Border Protection have encountered over 300,000 people who were not from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, a historic high, out of 1.5 million encounters, another historic high.
It was just another day by la frontera.