I want to talk about this image.
These are migrants in Mexico with numbers on their arms, awaiting their chance to cross the border and apply for asylum.
It's reminiscent of Jews in concentration camps, but let's be careful and fully informed before reacting!
These are migrants in Mexico with numbers on their arms, awaiting their chance to cross the border and apply for asylum.
It's reminiscent of Jews in concentration camps, but let's be careful and fully informed before reacting!
The numbers are being drawn on in Sharpie by Casa del Migrante, a non-profit civil association that provides services to displaced migrants: shelter, food, safe storage. It's a shelter run on charitable donations, since 1987 helping 250,000 migrants.
casadelmigrantetijuana.com/en/
casadelmigrantetijuana.com/en/
So why are they writing numbers on arms?
Well, the US CBP are denying free access to border crossings. So Mexican charities/NGOs are providing transportation in small busloads to accessible ports of entry. Those numbers are the migrant's place in line.
Well, the US CBP are denying free access to border crossings. So Mexican charities/NGOs are providing transportation in small busloads to accessible ports of entry. Those numbers are the migrant's place in line.
It's a little horrifying to see numbers on arms, but they're a practical way for charitable agencies to fairly distribute access to transportation. The practice of creating a list was started by the Red Cross of Mexico, and Casa del Migrante is working closely with Red Cross.
Why Sharpie on arms? Alternatives:
- Paper tickets or documents for each person represent a risk of theft or violence.
- ID tags are expensive and easy to lose.
In a resource poor environment, with migrants moving often and quickly, numbers in Sharpie make sense.
- Paper tickets or documents for each person represent a risk of theft or violence.
- ID tags are expensive and easy to lose.
In a resource poor environment, with migrants moving often and quickly, numbers in Sharpie make sense.
Is this Trump's fault? Yes, absolutely. The queue formed because of a new policy about blocking access to border crossings and not recognizing right to request asylum outside recognized ports of entry.
But no US agency is involved in putting numbers on the arms of migrants.
But no US agency is involved in putting numbers on the arms of migrants.
By all means, the situation at the border is chaos, and damaging to international human rights. It's been messed up for a while, and Trump just made it 100X worse. I still think it's important to stick to facts, and stay committed to truth.
End.
End.
