The US: The new epicenter of the Coronavirus

The US is suffering probably the biggest challenge in decades. The country is now the new epicenter of COVID-19.

Under the current circumstances, all government areas are making hasty decisions to prevent further mass contagion.

Immigration entities are also being negatively affected and the immigrant community is at high risk amid the chaos we are going through.

It is well known that immigration detention centers do not have the necessary requirements to offer proper hygiene and personal space to the families who are there.

Therefore, the measures that have been taken are extreme and can be detrimental, especially for the countries of Central America.

What decisions are affecting immigrants?

• The government decided to completely stop the entry of immigrants to the country (temporarily). Therefore, anyone who is reaching the borders at this time to request asylum, must be returned immediately even before entering US territory.
  This extreme measure does not exempt minors. They are also returned, even if they come alone.
• Deportation did not stop despite the Coronavirus, in fact, it seems that deportations are accelerating.
• The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) offices do not have in-person appointments service until at least May, 2020.
• USCIS is currently accepting all applications online.

Deportation amid a pandemic

The current government has always thought that immigration has a negative impact for the country, therefore, immigration policies are quite strict at this time.

Currently, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, there is no impediment to deport immigrants who want to seek asylum or refuge in the country.

The deportations are done so fast that there is not enough time to notice it.

This is a tremendous risk for Central America’s countries since the spread of the virus can be greater if they deport people who may be infected.

One of the deportation planes that was sent to Guatemala last week with approximately 40 immigrants had a passenger who tested positive on the COVID-19 exam.

That means that an infected immigrant was in contact with other people on a plane for a considerable time.

Central America raises its voice

Several countries have filed complaints regarding the number of daily deportations from the US to Central America.

They declare that there are no longer any processes or regulations. They are deporting as many people as possible due to the crisis they face, but Central America also complains that it is not fair or safe for the rest of the continent.

In fact, Meg Galas, director of one of the areas of the International Rescue Committee said: “Deportees arrive every day, risking further spread of COVID-19 infection in Central America and straining the limited resources of Central American governments that are preparing health systems to attend to an already vulnerable population.”

Another recent allegation states that the US is trying to deport immigrants who are infected with COVID-19.

This is a very delicate conjecture because there is no evidence to ensure that yet. However, if that is the case, Central America and South America would be under imminent danger.

Central America’s decisions

Central America has made extreme decisions regarding its relationship with the US as well.

For example, Mexico has closed all its borders, preventing the entry of anyone from the US.

It’s a bit ironic how Trump’s administration wanted to create a border wall between Mexico and the US to prevent illegal immigration. Now, Mexico is the country that prevents the entry of the American population at all costs.

The countries of Central America are doing everything possible to stop the deportations to avoid a massive contagion in their territories.

The smartest decision we have is to follow any immigration process with help from trained personnel so we can ensure that the result is successful.

We must avoid illegal immigration at all costs and protect our families from precarious situations. There is always a way to do every process safely.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in Progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.