Data indicates that out of every ten arrested on the demarcation line, four were Mexicans.    Photo taken from BBC

By Guillermo Alvarado

During the last twelve months, the United States carried out the highest number of apprehensions in its history at the border with Mexico, where it detained a little more than 1.7 million people, including adults and minors, who were trying to enter the territory without the required documentation.

The statistics correspond to the fiscal year just ended, a period that in that country begins on October 1 and ends the following September 31, which is very different from the calendar year.

Although this period includes several months of the administration of Donald Trump, who was in the White House until January 20, most of the captures occurred under the presidency of Joe Biden, particularly between June and September, when there were 804,000 cases.

From the first days of his mandate, Biden sent to potential migrants from Mexico and the Central American Northern Triangle, formed by El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, the blunt message "Do not come", a foretaste that the treatment received would not be better than before.

Neither the migrants paid the slightest heed, nor did the current U.S. president fulfill his campaign promise to abandon the cruel policies of his predecessor in office, so the drama continues.

The data indicate that out of every ten people arrested at the demarcation line, four were Mexicans, an equal number of Central Americans and the rest of other nationalities, which clearly indicates which region is issuing the largest number of migrants.

A common denominator of all these people is poverty, sometimes extreme misery, gang violence and organized crime groups, lack of jobs and opportunities.

Although in January of this year a U.S. program was announced to attack the causes of this massive exodus, even mentioning the figure of 6 billion dollars for that purpose, no change has occurred.

One proof is that a quarter of those captured had already tried at least once before, which means that the driving force behind their adventure remains intact.

According to the report, of those apprehended most were immediately deported back to their country of origin under the cover of the controversial Title 42, a Trump legacy, which allows for expedited removal under the pretext of preventing the spread of Covid-19.

The United States has been a habitual predator of the wealth of its southern neighbors, but it is obvious that it prefers to live behind closed doors so as not to see the results of its behavior.