IN U.S. BORDER TOWN - STEADY STREAM OF MIGRANTS CONTINUES

By Rebecca Person

photos By Pete Cerep

September15,2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Just when a recent crisis of hundreds of stranded undocumented people seemed to abate, local residents of San Diego County border town Jacumba Hot Springs are reporting new waves of migrants seen on foot emerging from the rugged desert here.

In recent weeks, the numbers and frequency of sightings have increased from occasional to now several groups are observed each week. The latest group on September 13 numbered 62 people who scurried over a remote desert trail and clustered in the shade of tamarisk trees beside Old Highway 80 in Jacumba.

Photos of the travelers reveal them to be mostly young men, possibly Asian, though a few women and children were seen. By contrast, most of the May migrants said they were from Haiti, Turkey, Brazil or Guatemala, according to residents who brought them water and survival supplies.

Those pictured in photos in this article were loaded into vans late in the day on  Sept. 13 to be transported to their next destination under the apparent supervision of Border Patrol, witnesses told  ECM.

The current bands are emerging on foot from a desolate stretch of desert just outside of town, all dressed in clean clothes, appear well fed and none seem to be traveling under any duress. Some are using phones yet it is hard to tell if any are serving as leaders.

News reports in the New York Times and Arizona Republic have exposed cartel involvement in getting groups across the border from Mexico. Migrants may cross over the border wall, or be smuggled through tunnels long used for drugs and weapons, or even be waved through checkpoints.

In some cases, corruption of Border Patrol has been alleged. ABC News reported in 2019 that the FBI was investigating evidence that corrupt Border Patrol agents took bribes to admit undocumented immigrants, raising concerns that terrorists might slip into the U.S. this way.

Border Patrol agents are reluctant to discuss the situation, while standing guard over groups in Jacumba as they rest awaiting further action and transport. According to reports from the previous migrant crisis last May, they are taken to the Border Patrol office where they are processed and sent to undisclosed places.

Some observers have expressed doubt as to their safety, suggesting a larger cartel influence. In other words, arriving in the US after a long journey may not assure these travelers the safety they had hoped to find.

Other observers raise an eyebrow to the similarities of these most recent groups. There is not the variety of ethnicities represented.

An apparent lack of Mexican nationals among the group suggests that Mexican laws requiring unsuccessful border crossers coming back into Mexico be sent to prison on their return may be discouraging Mexicans from making the crossing.

US Border Patrol public information officer Angel Moreno clarifies the dilemma faced by the Border Patrol in processing the large numbers of people they encounter.

He explains that when apprehended, the migrants are screened to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution or torture in their countries of origin. Those who do are set up with court dates in the US, which tend to be backed up for years. For those awaiting court dates, facilities are provided for their long-term holding. But such facilities can lack sufficient space for those awaiting court dates, so then the migrants are released into the general population. This week,10 News reported that San Diego migrant shelters are only accepting the most vulnerable individuals.

The current bands of migrants have not created any disturbances in Jacumba Hot Springs, though that doesn’t lessen the alarm and concern in the minds of residents whose properties they approach.

Also of concern is the welfare of the stranded groups - whether they have water, food, proper shelter from extreme desert temperatures. Humanitarians are concerned whether children among the groups have proper care. Back in May, a humanitarian group investigated conditions in Jacumba and filed a federal complaint alleging mistreatment by Border Patrol agents of migrants denied water, food, shelter and shade.

The humanitarian organization We Are Human Kind headed a donations drive which collected provisions for the thousand migrants who arrived here last May. 

For the group pictured this, Border Patrol and concerned local residents provided water.