Donald Trump's executive orders leave migrants in limbo

DW (English)

US President Trump has signed a series of executive orders designed to clamp down on migration. The measures have left thousands of migrants in limbo on the US-Mexico border. Many had been waiting months for appointments with immigration officials.

Transcript

00:00My name is Gisela Mendoza, I'm Cuban.

00:05I have been here in this shelter for about two months already.

00:10With a very difficult path, a very difficult journey, I came with two children.

00:17Gisela is one of the many people who had traveled to the neighboring border city with an asylum

00:21appointment to enter the US.

00:24But after Trump's inauguration, everything changed.

00:30And within days of having the appointment again, we received an email where it was canceled

00:36again.

00:38Here we're waiting to see what happens in the hands of God-trusting, desperate.

00:45NGOs in El Paso, Texas, on the US side of the border, agree that the situation is uncertain.

00:51The Trump administration's crackdown has cut off almost any legal option for migrants

00:57to cross the border.

00:59There's really no pathways to apply for asylum right now or to cross the border to ask for

01:03any kind of relief.

01:06So people really have to make really hard decisions whether to go back to their countries

01:12and be in danger there, stay in Mexico and be in danger there, or try to come over irregularly,

01:20which is also very dangerous.

01:23President Trump has promised to deport all unauthorized migrants.

01:27And Mexico is already awaiting their return.

01:31Here behind me, local authorities are getting ready for the possible arrival of thousands

01:35of deported people.

01:36On Monday, they started building distance tents to shelter all the migrants that might

01:41arrive in the next days.

01:43According to the Mexican government, they can hold thousands of individuals.

01:48However, local NGOs doubt that Ciudad Juárez can support so many people for long.

02:01There are many humanitarian organizations here, but not enough to meet the demand.

02:07It is difficult to take an asylum case without legal representation and limited access to

02:13services.

02:16For now, thousands of migrants hoping to reach the U.S. will remain in limbo.

02:20They face an uncertain future as these new policies take hold.

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