COVID-19 is lurking along the Texas-Mexico border. As suspicious illnesses begin to appear in migrant camps, close proximity, unhygienic conditions, and travel remain inexorable parts of daily life there.
Mexican border cities Matamoros and Juárez both have at least one confirmed case of the virus, while Cameron County and El Paso—their U.S. neighbors—have multiple cases. The U.S. government has begun taking action along the border to stop the spread of the virus, including postponing court hearings scheduled through April 22 for asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP).
But the pandemic and some of the new measures pose new challenges for immigration advocates, volunteers, and lawyers who are working around the clock to ensure that migrants affected by MPP—who are currently living in large open-air camps—are prepared, informed, and protected.
