Panama warns of looming Haitian migrant wave, tens of thousands on the way
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Nearly 30,000 Haitian migrants have already made their way over the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks, but Panama's foreign minister says far more are on their way - and she has been sounding the alarm for months.
In a new interview with Axios, Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes said that since the beginning of 2021 more than 85,000 Haitians have crossed through Panama and that she believes "they all are heading toward the U.S."
"We've engaged with every single authority that we can think of, that we can come across, to say, 'Please, let's pay attention to this,'" Mouynes told the outlet.
The Haitians have been coming from Colombia, traveling through the dangerous Darien Gap jungles into Panama before making their way northward through Central American and Mexico to to the U.S. Mouynes said senior officials from South American countries, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. met in August to address the issue, and she thought it was "shocking" that this had not happened sooner.
Mouynes said she also met with members of Congress and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this week.
In this Sept. 20, 2021, file photo, migrants, many from Haiti, board a bus after they were processed and released after spending time at a makeshift camp near the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Fox News reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment but it did not immediately respond.
Mouynes told Axios she wants to see additional meetings between the U.S. and other countries in which they can work out plans to better control the volume of people coming through their respective borders. She said Haiti needs to be involved as well in order to get to the root of the problem.
"We all have a role to play in this issue, and the regional approach is the correct approach," she said. "It is impossible for Panama to solve it on its own."
In addition to the 85,000 people that have already made their may to Panama and beyond, Mouynes said another 30,000 are waiting in Colombia while Panama is unable to take them.
"When we receive them on the Panamanian side, they're malnourished. The children are in terrible condition, so even getting them up to a healthy state takes time," she said.
Mayorkas told Fox News on Sunday that the vast majority of the migrants who had entered the country had been released into the U.S. At the time, he said as many as 12,000 had been released until their court date, with 3,000 in detention and 5,000 still awaiting the processing of their cases.
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"Trump's Remain-in-Mexico program was a massive success," Paxton told Fox News on Wednesday. "Biden refused to enforce it. I sued. He lost. He dragged his feet. I sued again." "Now he plans to get rid of the program altogether," the Texas attorney general added. "This [administration] is a disaster, acting in bad faith and destroying our border and communities. I'll do everything I can to ensure he doesn't eliminate MPP. ".....Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Who is organizing and paying for this? The population of the poorest nation in the hemisphere all suddenly found the cash for boat passage? And bus tickets? And food? And they all want to go the US? Is this supposed to be some kind of organic movement? These people are traveling on the funding of random good samaritans? And they all just happened to decide to go to the same place? And there are no alternatives for any of them? That’s an awful lot of things happening just right for an awful lot of people.
I assume the answer lies between whatever country currently has them and George Soros. Nobody can afford to care for them.
This is what happens when US immigration laws are not enforced; and our borders are not secure.
What are the chances that all 80,000 try to hit our southern border at the same time to completely overwhelm the system?
I'd say 100%. They know the idea is always to overwhelm the Border Patrol. Right now there isn't much stopping anyone.
A clowder of feral cats are on the way
About half of immigrants fail to show up for court proceedings.
Way to go Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, for your exemplary leadership in ensuring a never-ending chain of illegal immigrants.
Is this the date they think the crisis began? How much more ridiculous can this get?
U.S. unveils new limits on immigration arrests and deportations (msn.com)