One week before Title 42 expires, asylum seekers in Yuma face uncertain futures
FOX 9's Adam Klepp spoke to one migrant who fears for his life in Colombia, and hopes his asylum claim will be accepted
YUMA, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - It was an active Sunday evening at the wall as a group of well over 50 immigrants arrived in Yuma.
They say they come from countries all over the world, like Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.
One migrant from Colombia said he flew to Chihuahua, Mexico, and took a 20-hour bus to Mexicali, before crossing through Los Algodones.
“Why do I want to cross? Because things are very rough in my country. I protest in my country for the corruption that exists. They are killing us over there,” Dilan Prieto said.
While Prieto says the conditions in his country are dangerous, he says getting to this point was also stressful.
“The journey was hard because of the security in Mexico. A lot of police stopped us and they ask for money and take it from us,” Prieto said.
The busy Sunday evening turned into a quieter Monday for illegal crossings but Customs and Border Protection reports about 1,000 apprehensions per day in the sector, according to March statistics.
Even when there are no migrants at the wall, evidence from previous crossings are on the ground.
Migrants leave everything from medicine, plane tickets, and busted cell phones behind.
Title 42, a health code allowing border patrol to expel migrants before they seek asylum is still in place.
Yet Yuma reported the third most apprehensions of any border sector for the month of March.
However, in that month, only 5% of Yuma sector apprehensions were expelled under Title 42, well below the average for the entire southern border, which is 51%.
Not all migrants are eligible to be expelled under Title 42 based on country of origin.
But in March the Department of Homeland Security announced they’d begin to expel Colombians with the policy.
“I want to go to California. That’s where my cousin will welcome me as a favor. She understands my life is in danger,” Pietro said.
Leaving Pietro's plans for his future uncertain.
