Humanitarian Crisis At The US-Mexico Border: Stories Of Migrants, Asylum Seekers And Children

Migrants deported from the U.S. walk into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Mexico announced that U.S. advisers on border and immigration issues will meet with Mexican officials on Tuesday to discuss migration and development in Central America, as a surge of migrants has hit the U.S. southern border.

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The Biden administration has been scrambling to address a growing immigration crisis on the US southern border.

There are now more than 14,000 unaccompanied children in US custody.

The surge at the border is on track to be the biggest in nearly 2 decades.

Today, we talk about immigration and the border crisis.

Experts help us understand the current situation and how we got here.

What has led to the record increase in migrants since January?

What policies and issues have created this current situation?

And what can we do to fix this humanitarian crisis?

At the top of the show, a local health official also explains today’s breaking news that Texas will open eligibility to all adults starting Monday, March 29.

Guests are:

Michael W. "Mac" McClendon:

Director, Harris County Office of Public Health Preparedness & Response

Charles Foster:

Immigration attorney
Chairman of the Houston-based law firm Foster LLP

Sarah Pierce:

Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute

Rebecca Maria Torres:

Associate professor in the Department of Geography & the Environment
An Associate with the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas-Austin

Houston Public Media reporter Matt Harab also joins Ernie with the Houston Health Department’s preparations to begin vaccinating all adults, starting next Monday – including comments about the city's vaccine supply, capacity to vaccinate, and equity and access.

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.

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This article is part of the Town Square with Ernie Manouse podcast

Catherine Lu

Senior Content Producer & Announcer

While growing up in Chicago and Houston, Catherine’s love for art, music and creative writing was influenced by her teachers and parents. She was once concertmaster of the Clear Lake High School Orchestra and a four-time violinist of the Texas All-State Symphony. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Catherine...