Save the Lives of Central American Migrants
In the new issue of Americas Quarterly, we asked people, “What would you tell the next U.S. president about Latin America?” To see other authors’ responses, click here. Dear Mister / Madam President, Judging from the rhetoric coming from both parties’ presidential campaigns, immigration will continue to be a hotly contested issue under the next … Read more
Central American Refugees Turn South as U.S. and Mexico Tighten Borders
In July 2014, at the peak of the Central American migration crisis in the U.S., officials in Mexico announced a plan to stem the tide of illegal entries on the country’s porous southern border with Guatemala. Dubbed Programa Frontera Sur, the new policy was partly responsible for a dramatic drop in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving … Read more
The Trump-ification of Venezuela
Welcome to the Trump-ification of Venezuelan politics. By closing one of the busiest sections of the border with Colombia, and launching mass deportations of citizens from that country, the government of President Nicolás Maduro has actually implemented what the Republican presidential candidate only dreams of doing. Indeed, Maduro’s policies constitute a low point in the … Read more
Dream Chasers: Immigration and the American Backlash
Immigration is part of the DNA of the United States. Whether motivated by the search for economic opportunity or by religious and political freedom, immigrants have been flocking to U.S. shores for over 400 years. Yet debates about “who belongs” and “who should be allowed in” are as old as the nation itself. Sometimes the … Read more
Gregoria Flores, United States
While many were surprised when tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children arrived at the U.S. southern border seeking asylum last year, it had a sadly familiar resonance for Gregoria Flores. “I know what it’s like to apply for asylum here when you have no one supporting you,” said Flores, 47, who arrived alone … Read more
Dispatches: Lost in the Maze
As Latin American children play in the front room of an office in Brixton in London’s southern borough of Lambeth, their parents are equally raucous in the back, attending a February 2015 workshop hosted by a U.K.-based NGO called the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO). There isn’t enough space in the low-ceilinged, dimly lit … Read more
On Immigration, States Look to Move Past Rancorous National Debate
For progressive supporters of immigration reform, recent developments in national politics must undoubtedly seem grim. While two key elements of President Barack Obama’s sweeping executive actions on immigration appear to be headed towards defeat before the Firth Circuit Court of Appeals, House Speaker John Boehner continues to blame those actions for Congress’ inability to pass immigration reform. … Read more
Serving a Movement: A Model for Executive Action Implementation
Last November, President Barack Obama announced a historic executive action that could allow up to 4.4 million undocumented immigrants to gain relief from deportation and apply for employment authorization documents. This initiative was an important victory for the immigrant rights movement, which had pushed the president to act to protect immigrant families. President Obama’s executive … Read more
Immigration Activists Mark National Day of Action
Immigration reform activists staged rallies and protests across the United States on Tuesday as part of a national day of action, calling for the implementation of President Barack Obama’s executive actions for undocumented immigrants. The day of action fell on May 19, the original date that one of the president’s blocked executive action programs, Deferred … Read more
Dominican Republic Denies Extension Request from 18 Haitian Migrant Rights Organizations for the National Regularization Plan
On Wednesday, the Dominican Republic government denied a deadline extension request for applications to the Plan Nacional de Regularización (National Regularization Plan) from 18 advocacy organizations dedicated to defending Haitian migrant workers’ rights. The deadline for registration is scheduled for June 17. Roudy Joseph, spokesman for the coalition of organizations, announced that a document would be … Read more
Policy Advocacy: Let’s Bring U.S. Immigration Reforms Past the Finish Line
President Barack Obama put immigration front and center on the U.S. national agenda with his announcement last November that he would take executive action to protect several million undocumented immigrants from deportation, among other things. But instead of focusing on how his plan will make our communities safer and more prosperous, the debate has been … Read more
Dispatches: The Stethoscope Diaspora
Alvin Mena Cantero might seem indistinguishable from the thousands of hard-working Cuban immigrants in Houston. The 30-year-old recently bought a house in the suburbs and has two jobs, one as a family nurse and the other as weekend supervisor at a mental health center. But Mena is no ordinary exile. Just four years earlier, he … Read more
Undocumented in the Ivy League
Sitting in one of New Haven’s trendy coffee shops, Yale freshman Alejandro Sánchez has exciting news. Along with some of his classmates, he was conditionally accepted into a prestigious summer program to study economics abroad. But unlike his friends, it isn’t guaranteed that he can ever come back. Alejandro is an undocumented immigrant, one of an estimated … Read more
AQ Slideshow: Central American Migrants Protest in Mexico
On April 18, as the sun rose high into the sky, a group of several dozen Central American migrants marched along with the Viacrucis Migrante (Migrant Stations of the Cross) towards the Basílica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. The group, led by migrant outreach activist Padre Alejandro Solalinde, sought to draw attention to the problems … Read more
Policy Updates
A snapshot of policy trends and successes in the region.
