Nicaraguans Arrested at US Border New High in November

November 2022 was the month with the most arrests of Nicaraguan migrants who tried to enter the United States irregularly, according to the official records of the US Border Patrol, which reported 34,292 arrests. This exceeds the previous high of 20,987 registered in October.

Nicaraguans, Cubans and Venezuelans lead the record number of migration to the United States in 2022: The fiscal year closed with some 2.7 million apprehensions, according to the United States Customs and Border Protection.

Between January and October, 147,277 Nicaraguans were detained by the US Border Patrol. This figure exceeds the 87,749 compatriots who turned themselves in to the authorities in 2021.

Reports by specialists based on the reports of the Office of Customs and Border Protection of States highlight that the migratory waves of Nicaraguans reach record numbers in November, as those from Russia, Ecuador and Cuba.

Nationalities of migrants at the US-Mexico border, Sep. to Nov. (>1,000/mo.):

- Top increases: Ecuador +120%, Russia +110% (record, now in top 10), Nicaragua +88% (record), Cuba +32%
- Top decreases: Venezuela -77%, Brazil -59%, El Salvador -12%, Honduras -10%
- Colombia now #4 pic.twitter.com/z57bjlWKPi

— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) December 24, 2022

El Paso overwhelmed by the wave of migrants

El Paso, Texas, which as a border city has historically served as a place of refuge for migrants, has been overwhelmed in recent weeks by a surge in arrivals. The Border Patrol records an average of 1,500 arrests a day, and that’s not counting the hundreds that manage to enter without being detected by agents.

Despite the fact that Title 42, a health regulation that allows immediate returns at the border, remains in place, there are those who risk crossing irregularly. And citizens of exempt countries, such as Cuba or Nicaragua, can enter after turning themselves in to the Patrol.

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This situation has mobilized El Paso residents to approach the areas where migrants congregate with donations. Throughout the day and evening, vehicles are parked and their drivers, usually people of Hispanic descent, hand out bags of clothing, boxes of food, and even toys for children on Christmas Eve.

Danger grows for Nicaraguan migrants

The rescue of a group of 253 migrants on December 5th —of which 186 were Nicaraguan and were kidnapped at a home in Durango, Mexico— is a sample of the escalation of kidnappings that began in mid-November on Mexican routes towards the United States. Its victims, above all, have been Nicaraguans, warn non-governmental organizations that assist migrants.

On Sunday December 18, more than 1500 migrants turned themselves in to the US authorities, in one of the largest mass crossings in El Paso, Texas. Hundreds of these migrants are Nicaraguan who had been kidnapped by organized crime.

Criminal groups found an opportunity to get money because the Nicaraguan began to publish their efforts to collect the money from anywhere (to pay the ransom), noted the Texas Nicaraguan Community group that assists migrants.

*With information from EFE

This article was originally published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by Havana Times