Officials from Arizona, California, and Nevada have reached an agreement to conserve 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026, the equivalent of 6 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, in order to protect the Colorado River from drought. In exchange for temporarily using less water, users in the three states will receive federal funding, though the amount is unspecified. This agreement is a positive step towards ensuring the Colorado River continues to provide power and drinking water to the seven U.S. states, parts of Mexico, and Native American tribes that rely on it.
Posts tagged as “Mexico”
On May 20th, 2023, a long-gun attack occurred at an off-road vehicle rally in Ensenada, Mexico, near the U.S. border, leaving 10 people dead and another 10 wounded. The state prosecutor's office said that the attack was carried out by a group of gunmen in one vehicle, and the motive is still under investigation. Security forces have secured the perimeter at the site of the attack, and the state prosecutor's office has asked for the public's help in identifying the perpetrators and vowed to bring them to justice.
An 8-year-old girl has died in U.S. Border Patrol custody in Texas after suffering a medical emergency. The Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct an investigation, and the incident is the latest in a string of deaths of migrants in U.S. custody. Cities across the United States are struggling to provide shelter for migrants as crossings at the southern border have dropped.
Roxana Ruiz, a Mexican woman who killed a man in self-defense after he attacked and raped her in 2021, was sentenced to more than six years in prison on Tuesday, sparking outcry from experts and feminist groups. This case has highlighted the need for better protection for women in Mexico, with activists calling for a review of the country's laws and policies on gender-based violence, greater access to justice for victims, and greater accountability for perpetrators.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he will be sending more than 1,100 law enforcement officers and National Guard members to the Texas-Mexico border in response to the Biden administration's decision to allow for the lapse of Title 42. DeSantis has stated that the federal government's abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of the country and the rule of law, and that the impacts of the border crisis are being felt across the nation. The state will be providing resources to the Texas border, including personnel, equipment, and other support, in an effort to address the influx of migrants.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the number of migrants crossing the US southern border has dropped by 50% since the expiration of pandemic-related asylum restrictions, crediting harsher penalties for unlawful entry. Mayorkas also said the Biden administration is working with Mexico and Central American countries to address the root causes of migration and providing access to medical care, food, and shelter for migrants. The decrease in crossings is a welcome sign for the Biden administration, though it remains to be seen if it will be sustained.
On May 6, 2023, the Biden administration lifted pandemic-related asylum restrictions, leading to an influx of migrants attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. This put a strain on the nation’s immigration system, but the Biden administration was dealt a legal setback when a federal judge temporarily blocked its attempt to release migrants more quickly when Border Patrol holding stations are full. The ruling came just hours before the Title 42 border restrictions expired, raising concerns about overcrowding in migrant facilities.
On Sunday morning, tragedy struck the city of Brownsville, Texas, when an SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting at a bus stop, killing eight and injuring eighteen, ten critically. The victims were all male, and several were from Venezuela, leaving relatives of missing people scrambling to locate their loved ones. The Brownsville Police Department is continuing to investigate the crash, and the community is coming together to support the victims and their families.