(NewsNation) — Tens of thousands of migrants cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day, coming from as far away as the Middle East, Africa, South America and China, fleeing conflicts, violence and persecution.
They risk life and limb to make the treacherous journey into the United States, each person with a different story, all with the same goal: to chase the American Dream.
But for many, that American fantasy often turns into a nightmare.
A Dangerous Journey
As they make the trek to America, migrants find themselves dealing with perilous situations.
In November, authorities at the southern border had to give CPR to at least two people trying to cross the Rio Grande River into the United States. The water in the river is deceptively deep, and the current is swift. NewsNation’s Ali Bradley captured footage of people using ropes and forming human chains to cross the Rio Grande. Children were carried on family member’s shoulders, some pushed in inner tubes as they tried to get to the United States.
And once they get to the United States, they still face tragedy. The death of a 5-year-old boy living in a temporary shelter for migrants in Chicago died in December, prompting questions about conditions there.
On social media, migrants have been sharing information about dangers along their routes.
So-called “coyotes” or human smugglers often prey on migrants’ desperation, border officials warn, charging them thousands of dollars even though they can’t guarantee migrants safe passage. NewsNation caught some of these smugglers on camera as they led a family through a hole they cut in the border wall.
Some, Border Patrol said, are giving migrants so-called “survival kits” to help them evade border agents and get into the country undetected.
Border Towns
Officials in local border towns from Texas to California have reported feeling overwhelmed by the amount of migrant crossings in their area.
Eagle Pass, Texas, has seen record-breaking levels of illegal crossings recently. In one instance, more than 4,000 migrants crossed into the city in a single day. On average, Eagle Pass sees an average of more than 2,000 such crossings a day. Some groups have more than 100 people in them, waiting to cross. Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber told NewsNation there’s a strain on local resources because of this, and it’s taking them longer to respond to 911 calls.
A similar situation was seen in Lukeville, Arizona, spurring the closure of a port of entry there along the border. Customs and Border Patrol said in a statement operations were suspended there earlier this month so agents could be reassigned to take migrants into custody.
A NewsNation drone captured images of thousands of immigrants waiting to be processed by Border Patrol agents in December.
Migrant Bus Aftermath
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started bussing migrants to various cities in the United States last year, in what he says is a way to shine a light on what he calls the Biden administration’s inaction at the southern border.
This year, the fallout from the migrant buses continued, with Chicago cracking down on buses arriving at official hours or that drop migrants at unauthorized locations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called on the federal government multiple times in 2023 to help the city as it struggles to accommodate the thousands of migrants coming in.
“Our compassion may be limitless, but our resources are not. This is the budgetary reality we are facing if we don’t get the additional support we need,” Adams said in August. He later announced proposed budget cuts of 5% for all city agencies because of the costs New York City incurred from housing the migrants.
City Council members, however, pushed back on Adams’ assertion, City and State New York reports, saying that budget gaps are not only because of the migrant crisis, but also from expiring federal COVID-19 funding and dropping city revenues in out years.
Cartels
Cartels remain an issue for Mexican and American leaders.
Tijuana, Mexico Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez said in an October interview with NewsNation’s Jorge Ventura that she is working on taking on these cartels, despite death threats made against her.
“The threats toward me are because of my results. It is hard to work like this because I live in military barracks, but I keep going to work because it is an important commitment with society,” Ramirez said.
Ventura also went to a rural area in the Tijuana border this year to join a volunteer group whose main goal is to find Mexican nationals who have been buried and not discovered, including a father desperately searching for the remains of his lost son.