Report from the Tijuana border

This weekend I witnessed the refugee crisis in Tijuana along with my comrades in DSA-LA's Immigration Justice Committee. What I saw was a manufactured crises. Both US & Mexican governments collaborate on creating backlogs for processing migrants, using an illegal numbering system. Migrants must wait for months to be processed, only to be separated from their families, detained or denied entry. Those unable to make it past credible fear interviews resort to laying down roots in Tijuana, returning to a violent home country, or crossing the border illegally. None of this has to happen. Both governments can process far more refugees humanely - but they manufacture a crisis for deterrence. 

The migrants we spoke with are kind and strong-willed. They made their journey from places like Cameroon, Eritrea, Haiti, and Central America. An overwhelming majority of migrants are black, contradicting the popular media narrative and underscoring the global white supremacy that characterizes imperialism. It's unfair. These are people that pose no threat, have risked everything, only to be met with dehumanization by the most powerful and wealthy country on the planet.

I'm thankful for organizations like Al Otro Lado which work tirelessly to reject these xenophobic policies. The staff and volunteers are some of the kindest people I've met and I encourage you to support their work with your time, money, and praises.

Unfortunately climate change, capitalism, and violence will continue to generate refugees. Our analysis must expand to not merely calling for the abolition of ICE and an end to detention, but for an insistence to end senseless military and economic intervention and ultimately adopt an open border policy.

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43You, Jack Suria Linares and 41 others

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