So close, but at the same time so far - this is the situation of the migrants who have gathered on the Mexican border with the US.
One of them, who does not want to be named due to concerns for her safety, tells DW that criminals kidnapped her together with her daughter. That's why she left her home in southern Mexico. "We have no way out, because we simply cannot say: We will start over. We are still in Mexico, and the gangs are powerful, they are everywhere."
The city of El Paso is located on the other side of the Rio Grande River - in the USA. It has 680,000 inhabitants. This is the hometown of Aimee Santillan, who is responsible for American migration policy at the Catholic organization "Hope". "There were also very large restrictions in the past, but the number of migrants did not decrease", Santillan told DW. "If people do not feel safe in their countries, they come here, and it does not really matter whether the rules are restrictive or fairer."
"The largest deportation operation in history"
Returning to the White House, Donald Trump has made the issue of border security one of his priorities. He has imposed a state of emergency on the southern border and has already taken the first steps to increase the military presence there, as well as for mass deportations. In parallel, Congress passed a law that eases detentions and deportations.
The White House announced that American authorities have already detained "hundreds of illegal immigrants" on US territory. Two planes have taken people out of the country. Both landed in Guatemala. The Guatemalan migration service reported that there were actually three flights - two from El Paso with a total of 185 passengers and one from Tucson, Arizona. "The largest mass deportation operation in history is underway," said White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt.
Trump eliminated the legal way to enter the US
Trump actually inherited a relatively strict border regime from his predecessor Joe Biden - the strictest under a Democratic president. In June 2024, Biden signed new rules that, among other things, would mean that people who cross the border illegally would no longer have a chance to apply for asylum.
Just before the change in presidential power, the Department of the Interior announced that the new rules had led to a 60 percent drop in illegal border crossings. At the same time, the Biden administration also created a legal way to enter the country - the border authorities' CBP One app - through which asylum seekers can apply for an interview and have their applications processed. Immediately after taking office, Trump suspended the app.
Aime Santillan of the organization "Hope" says she was not entirely satisfied with the app, but it has nevertheless contributed to order at the border. "It was shocking to see them turn it off and those who have been waiting in Mexico for months suddenly lose their interview time with the authorities. People are filled with uncertainty. "There is no longer any possibility of seeking asylum or of requesting any assistance from across the border," Santillan said.
What did Donald Trump order?
Trump's new rules go far beyond shutting down the app - in an executive order signed on Monday, he ordered the military and interior departments to cooperate with governors who want to build new sections of the wall along the border with Mexico. The emergency declared by the president allows access to funds without the need for congressional approval.
The main point in the document is called "Sending personnel and resources". With it, Trump orders the military department to send military personnel with the appropriate weapons to the southern border to support border protection. It is important to emphasize here that they will support civilian border protection, this is not a military operation. After 30 and 90 days, Trump must be informed about the measures taken and their effect.
What is the military's mission?
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced that an additional 1,500 soldiers from the Army and Navy will be sent to the border. They will reinforce the 2,500 soldiers who were already sent to the border under Biden.
The National Guard has been operating in Texas since 2021. Operation "Lone Star" is an example, Trump said shortly after taking office. And after realizing that the Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is responsible for the operation, was sitting right in front of him, Trump praised him: "He's doing a phenomenal job, and now he has a partner to work with."
The National Guard is generally under the command of the governors of the respective states. In California, the Guardsmen are currently helping to extinguish the fires in Los Angeles, another example of their activity is the suppression of riots in Minnesota in 2020 after the murder of African-American George Floyd during a police operation. In the event of war or after the declaration of a state of emergency, Congress, the president or the Secretary of Defense can also turn to the National Guard.
Will Trump use the full power of the army?
Unlike the National Guard, the regular army cannot be so easily used for actions inside the country. This is prohibited by a law from 1878 - the Posse Comitatus Act. However, it also contains one explicit exception - the so-called. Insurrection Act. from 1807. It allows the president to suppress uprisings with the help of the army. During the administration of George W. Bush, its scope was expanded so that the military could be used to help with natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
In his executive order, Trump asks the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Interior to provide an opinion within 90 days on whether the situation at the border requires the use of the Insurrection Act. In that case, Trump could order a broad military mission, for example, for mass deportations of people without valid residence permits. But whatever determination he shows, Trump is unlikely to be able to realize his real goal, suggests Amy Santillan. "Trump wants no more people to come and for migration to end. But that is not going to happen."
Author: David El