Immigrants on both sides of the border are feeling the effects of the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on immigration.
South of the U.S. border, movement from Central America and Mexico is at a virtual halt.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — French for Doctors Without Borders — provides comprehensive care for all ages, including maternal and prenatal care, support for victims of sexual violence, and mental health care.
However, a recent drop in aid has reduced MSF’s footprint across the migration route.
An MSF recent report released in August finds that changes in immigration policy have left many immigrants trapped in a cycle of physical, emotional, and institutional violence.
Dr. Franking Frías, deputy manager of operations for MSF in Mexico and Central America, said the organization has seen a decreasing number of people who seek help in shelters.
“It doesn’t mean that they disappear and it doesn’t mean that they don’t need the services,” he said. ”It means that they move further because authorities have put mechanisms in place to make them less visible.”
Frías said while Central American governments have recognized shortcomings that lead to migration, MSF still continues to witness gaps.
“We still witness a lot of things to be improved and to be done in terms of support for the people,” he said. “There’s still no clear and safe paths for people.”
Read MSF’s new report, UNWELCOME: The devastating human impact of migration policy changes in the United States, Mexico and Central America, below.
202508 MSF Report Unwelcome The devastating human impact of migration policy changes in the United States, ... by Texas Public Radio
