Thousands of Haitian Migrants Forced to Camp at Texas Border

Haitian Migrants Forced to Camp at Texas Border

Over the last several days a crowd of migrants awaiting U.S. processing outside a Texas border community has grown to more than 10,000. The migrants, mostly from Haiti, have been sheltering under a major bridge as the Biden administration tries to speed up processing. Washington Post reporter Arelis Hernández joins Amna Nawaz from Del Rio, Texas to discuss the scene. Read the summary, watch the video from Student Reporting Labs and answer the discussion questions. Some students may find it easier to read along with the transcript or turn on closed captions/CC.

Discussing the Plight of Haitian Migrants at the Border

• Who has gathered at the border in unsafe conditions and where are they from, according to this piece?
• What are some of the dangerous conditions described in this piece?
• When did these migrants begin the journey to the U.S.-Mexico border?
• Why have these migrants made the journey, according to the reporter interviewed here?
• How is the U.S. government and other authorities responding to the large gathering of migrants?

Focus Questions

1. Why do you think mostly Haitian immigrants made the long and dangerous journey from Haiti through Mexico to the border? Do you think there are or should be better ways to apply for asylum?

2. Who do you think should take responsibility for the health and safety of these thousands of migrants?

Media Literacy: Why do you think the audience didn’t hear directly from one of the migrants described in this piece? 

Additional Resource: To better understand how the Biden administration has responded to large groups of migrants seeking asylum at the border, see this Daily News Lesson on deportation flightsor this one on response to a group of Central American migrants in the spring.

Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Extra.