JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) – Leidys and two female traveling companions huddled their eight children under the scarce shade of two shrubs on the banks of the Rio Grande.
The three Venezuelan families spent their first night in Juarez in the safety of a shelter. But by Tuesday they were set on remaining by the river until they could cross the border, surrender to the U.S. Border Patrol and submit an asylum claim.
First, they had to figure out how to get past the barbed wire fence and roving patrols of soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard.
“We’ve been here for two days now. We stay here under the shade and at night we go over there,” said Leidys, who fled Venezuela’s crime and rising cost of living several weeks ago in search of the American dream.
The obstacles to getting across the border are quickly forcing many asylum-seekers to spend days in near triple-digit heat in Juarez, often on the streets or near the river. The El Paso, Texas-Juarez, Mexico area recorded a maximum temperature of 96 degrees on Thursday.
Juarez city officials say several migrants in the past two weeks have come down with heat-related illnesses, including dehydration. Others are falling prey to stomach illnesses, eating whatever inexpensive street food they can afford.
Municipal workers are driving around the city looking for groups of migrants on street corners or families begging on city streets. They distribute bottled water and invite the migrants to shelters, city officials told Border Report.
But the migrants say they’ve been told the shelters are only for sleeping. Only families are allowed to stay inside from dawn to dusk.
“Right now, we’re under a tree because the sun is very strong,” said Catherine, another Venezuelan migrant.
When the sun changes position, “we move around to where the shade is because we cannot stay here all day,” added Manuel, her traveling companion.
Enduring burning sands on the banks of the Rio Grande
On the banks of the river, a woman walked around with a folded cardboard over her head to protect herself from the sun. Mothers made makeshift tents from ragged blankets and sat on clothing to protect themselves and their children from the burning sands on Thursday afternoon.
The eyes of several dozen families along the riverbank strayed often toward the U.S. side, hoping the Texas soldier patrols would leave so they could attempt a crossing.
One migrant mom said there was nothing to do but wait and drink water.
“We consume a lot of water, a lot. This jug won’t last long. It will last me a day, then we have to go out” to beg for money to buy more, the unidentified woman said. She showed a Border Report camera crew the sunburn her son suffered while staked out by the river the past few days.
Sergio Rodriguez, Juarez’s Civil Protection Office director, said city workers for a long time have been telling migrants not to camp out along the riverbank.
“That’s not a good place to spend the night or stay out in the daytime. The river water is dirty and our city has very high temperatures. There is no adequate shelter and that can leave them open to heat stroke,” Rodriguez said.
He added that by the time Central and South American migrants arrive in Juarez, they are often malnourished, sick and with “low body defenses.” He said first responders last week saved the life of a 10-month-old girl who had a fever, diarrhea and dehydration.
The official said Juarez shelters are 60 percent full, on average, and have staff or visiting physicians. Like other local officials who are willing to help the asylum-seekers, Rodriguez is a bit frustrated many migrants are turning down the offer to go to shelters.
“We invite them to go to these shelters where they can enjoy air-conditioning, good hygiene and, above all, medical care,” he said.