By Juan Hernandez
Guacamole is one of the stars of every Super Bowl. In 2023, Mexico exported an estimated 130,000 tons of avocado for the event. Eating guacamole is already as traditional in the US as ordering a hamburger, thanks to the influence of Mexican immigrants in the popular culture of our neighbor to the north. But what migrants (and Latinos in general) have contributed to the most powerful country in the world has meant little to its governments. Joe Biden’s promises to improve this situation are, to specialists, «very tasteless.» They barely focus on economic support for vulnerable countries such as those in Central America to somewhat mitigate their deficiencies and make them give up looking for the American dream. On the one hand, our migrant countrymen add flavor to the Super Bowl, but, on the other, public policies in the US do not fully integrate them.
The history of the US is rooted, by its very nature, in immigration. But if we focus on recent times, we can see that recent Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump had different reactions to the havoc caused by undocumented migration. To many migrant leaders the results have not been very encouraging for those trying to improve their legal status. Obama, for example, had a great connection with Latinos, but he ended up being the largest expeller of immigrants in US history. And Trump? He won the presidential election thanks to his anti-immigrant narrative.
If we focus on the present, the Joe Biden administration has been wavering on its immigration policies. Several states, for example, have challenged Biden (Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent truckloads of undocumented migrants to Democratic-run cities like New York.) Some analysts believe that Biden’s actions are not forceful and only disguise the magnitude of the immigration problem. One such is the investment that his government announced of more than US$950 million to try to reduce migration from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Although these resources will be used to create jobs, finance small businesses, and improve education, it is not enough to contain the massive mobilization of people that suffocates the border between the US and Mexico every day.
Another of Biden’s actions was to inform the Supreme Court that the Covid-19 pandemic may end in May. This would conclude the border restriction known as Title 42, promoted by Donald Trump. Although it may seem like good news for migrants, “this is just a patch for a broken immigration system,” said Oscar Leeser, mayor of El Paso, Texas, one of the border cities overwhelmed by the thousands of migrants who require shelter, food, and health services. Human rights organizations estimate that up to 2,500 people cross the border daily at El Paso alone.
These actions give a certain counterweight to the constant criticism that the current government of the US has received. However, the millions of Latinos who live in in the US have not ceased in reproaching the lack of comprehensive immigration reform. Although with the arrival of Joe Biden in the White House progress was made in the narrative by no longer considering migrants “delinquents, rapists, and criminals,” it has not been sufficient. As if this were not enough, the immigration reform initiatives that were being discussed in the US Congress that would help millions of «dreamers» and agricultural workers were left out of the budget for this 2023. In other words, no resources were allocated to keep fighting for the cause of migrants.
In the face of the uncertain outlook for migrants, what do states have to do to give the governments of the US and Mexico a little push? Undoubtedly, the way to achieve a normalized, orderly, and safe action is through migratory governance on a local level. In Guanajuato we have been working on the «With You Yes» strategy for two years. It was created by Governor Diego Sinhue to add resources, programs, and projects from different agencies so that Guanajuato residents, including migrants, have development opportunities and do not have to leave home due to lack of opportunities. In the same way, at the National Coordination of Offices of Attention to Migrants (CONOFAM), we share the best practices and experiences to mitigate the needs of migrants.
While Joe Biden’s actions do not go beyond the lives of the millions of undocumented immigrants living in his country, migrants continue to prop up the US economy with their work: as many as 55% of companies worth US$1 billion or more have at least one migrant founder. Not to mention Mexican food, which is sold by our migrants wherever they are, and which has spiced up the US’s most precious sporting event with a nacho hat instead of a football helmet and a delicious guacamole worthy of the Super Bowl.
What do you think? Let’s talk about it on Facebook @juanhernandez.org and Twitter @JuanHernadezS Juan Hernández is the Secretary of Migration and International Liaison of the Government of Guanajuato, and writes for the newspaper El Sol del Bajío. This column was published by permission.
