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The Guardian
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
They planned to seek asylum. Trump's policies have left them stranded at the US-Mexico border
Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration upended lives on inauguration day when he abruptly closed the border for many who were just on the Mexican side of the border planning to cross into the US legally. Five months on, some hold on to hope, others are giving up. A family from El Salvador seeking asylum was left stranded at the border within sight of Texas only three days into the second Trump administration. A grandfather, his daughter, his niece, her husband and two of his grandchildren had done things 'the right way', by requesting one of the highly limited appointments with US Border Patrol, from the Mexican side using the Biden-era mobile phone app called CBPOne. But on January 20, Trump signed an executive order cancelling all scheduled appointments, including theirs on 23 January at noon. Trump crushed the family's access to seek asylum, along with their dreams – and those of 30,000 other migrants who had been given prized appointments through the app. Many of them were fleeing combinations of extreme violence, authoritarianism and poverty in El Salvador, Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela or within Mexico. The Salvadoran family was turned back by US officials on the international bridge connecting Reynosa in northern Mexico to McAllen in south Texas. Bewildered and upset, they did not know where to turn. That was when they ran into a local pastor, Hector Silva, who runs two migrant shelters in Reynosa, known as Senda de Vida 1 and 2, that together can hold up to 5,000 people. He took the family under his wing. Their names are being withheld so as not to jeopardize their safety. 'In El Salvador we will always be at risk since our brother was killed by gang members,' said one of the women. He was murdered back in 2014 when he was 18. 'My father recently worked as an Uber driver but he was being extorted,' she added. And she herself had been unemployed. Shelters like Silva's were overcrowded a few years ago, but as centrist Democratic president Joe Biden swung further right on immigration and tightened access, numbers dropped. With Trump's even harder line, numbers have dwindled further. By April, only about 200 people were staying at Silva's shelters. The pastor founded his first shelter on a landfill site in Reynosa almost 30 years ago. Over the years he has heard stories of husbands being murdered, daughters being raped, and extortion payments from criminal gangs in their home regions that were too expensive to pay. 'These families need to migrate to protect themselves and their loved ones,' he said. While he respects the US's pledge to secure the border, he urges the administration to loosen its policies, especially for the right to request asylum. 'Many of these families are good people who deserve an opportunity,' he said. Across the courtyard, Karina, a Mexican woman from the state of Chiapas mopped the floor in front of her dorm, while her eight-year-old son slurped on a bowl of Fruit Loops cereal. Together, they had crossed the entire country to escape threats of cartel violence and organ trafficking in their community. 'Everything was complicated. So we had to flee before anything happened to us,' she said when the Guardian visited in April. Karina had already been at the shelter for eight months waiting for a US appointment, trying the controversial app daily. Such a wait, or longer, was not uncommon, exposing those waiting to the dangers that stalk some parts of the border, particularly from cartel kidnappings for ransom. Waiting was better than nothing, however. But then the US government app stopped working before the authorities got back to her. According to Gretchen Kuhner, the director of the Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI), a Mexican non-profit that supports migrant women, Karina was far from alone in fleeing violence within Mexico, joining a growing number of people seeking safety elsewhere. 'Lots of people think Mexicans are economic migrants. But they don't realize the number of people from Mexico who were applying to CBPOne,' Kuhner said. 'The Mexican government does not want to talk about' the violence driving migration, she said. Karina was racked with uncertainty. 'We don't know what will happen. Or if we will be able to cross,' she said when she talked to the Guardian in April. She saw herself working in a US packaging warehouse or in a shop, making a new life. 'If God lets me cross to the United States, I know I will have the ability and intelligence to learn,' she said. The father of her child had been expecting them in Virginia, she said, dejectedly. Immigration advocates clarify that the drop in migration and empty shelters have been created by US immigration policy, not because the risks and needs in countries of origin are any less dire. Andrés Ramirez, the former coordinator of Mexico's Refugee Agency (COMAR), said the numbers of migrants entering Mexico from the south had already dropped considerably in 2024 as Panama cracked down on migration through the Darién Gap. From January to April 2025, a mere 73 people had made the treacherous journey across the jungle, down from 82,000 in August 2023. The 30,000 people whose appointments with US immigration officers were cancelled are now hard to locate. Many are thought to have dispersed across Mexico. Some have been deported by the Mexican government. Others have flocked to cities such as Monterrey or Mexico City in search of work. Many are stuck in desperate conditions in the southern city of Tapachula, bordering Guatemala. And some are applying for asylum in Mexico. But an IMUMI report warns against the country being safe for many migrants seeking protection. Others back at the Senda de Vida shelter have given up on the American dream for now. Wendy, a beautician in her 30s traveling with her son and sister-in-law from Honduras, felt out of options and planned to return home and hope for the best. She would probably turn herself in to Mexican immigration officials who have been busing migrants down south, she said. 'We have never had much financial stability. My son is in school now. I was hoping to have my own business and my own little house in the US,' she said. Some cross without authorization after all. 'People are hiring smugglers at newly inflated rates', or taking more dangerous routes, said Kuhner. Silva, meanwhile, is busy fixing up his shelters. Sooner or later, more migrants will return. 'This is not over. Nor will it end. Migration will continue,' he said. Earlier this month, some who were at the shelter in April had gone back to their countries, some had crossed unlawfully into the US, others had taken off to try their luck in Mexico City. The Salvadoran family was still in Reynosa. The grandfather may return to El Salvador with his grandson through a program with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations body, despite the risk and having sold their house and car to fund the journey north. Some continued to hope and pray for better fortunes. For those stuck, Silva opened his arms in the modest courtyard with a smile. 'Here you won't want for anything. Even if it is just a tortilla with salt,' he said.
Malay Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Kidnapped, killed and dumped: Police nab three more suspects after Fugitivo band lured to death in Mexico
CIUDAD VICTORIA (Mexico), June 3 — Three suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Mexican musicians in Tamaulipas state were arrested during a series of raids, officials said on Monday. The five members of local band Fugitivo had been hired for a weekend performance in the crime-wracked northeastern city of Reynosa, but arrived to find a vacant lot. Their bodies were found several days later after their families reported receiving ransom demands. Investigators said the musicians had been kidnapped on May 25 while driving to a private event. Nine alleged cartel members were arrested last week, with authorities announcing another sting on Monday. 'An operation was carried out on three properties' in Reynosa, the public security office said in a statement, adding that the three suspects had been arrested there. During the operation, weapons, weapons cartridges, cocaine and methamphetamines were also seized, the ministry added. Tamaulipas is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous states due to the presence of gang members involved in drug and migrant trafficking, as well as extortion. Criminal violence has claimed more than 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006 and left around 120,000 people missing. Mexican musicians have previously been targeted by criminal groups that pay them to compose and perform songs glorifying the exploits of their leaders. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
03-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
3 more suspects arrested in murder of Mexican musicians
Criminal violence has claimed more than 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006. (AP pic) CIUDAD VICTORIA : Three suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Mexican musicians in Tamaulipas state were arrested during a series of raids, officials said yesterday. The five members of local band Fugitivo had been hired for a weekend performance in the crime-wracked northeastern city of Reynosa, but arrived to find a vacant lot. Their bodies were found several days later after their families reported receiving ransom demands. Investigators said the musicians had been kidnapped on May 25 while driving to a private event. Nine alleged cartel members were arrested last week, with authorities announcing another sting yesterday. 'An operation was carried out on three properties' in Reynosa, the public security office said in a statement, adding that the three suspects had been arrested there. During the operation, weapons, weapons cartridges, cocaine and methamphetamines were also seized, the ministry added. Tamaulipas is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous states due to the presence of gang members involved in drug and migrant trafficking, as well as extortion. Criminal violence has claimed more than 480,000 lives in Mexico since 2006 and left around 120,000 people missing. Mexican musicians have previously been targeted by criminal groups that pay them to compose and perform songs glorifying the exploits of their leaders.
CBS News
31-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Popular Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels U.S. show, saying Trump administration suspended their visas
Why Trump is pushing military help for Mexico to help fight cartels The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The announcement also came just two days after the bodies of five Mexican musicians were found in Reynosa along the Texas border. Grupo Firme, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under "administrative review by the U.S. Embassy" and that it would make it "impossible" for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said that visa cases are confidential according to U.S. law and couldn't provide more information on the case. Members of the Mexican regional band "Grupo Firme" perform during a free concert in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Sept. 25, 2022. Eduardo Verdugo / AP The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of "narco-corridos" has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. "I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. "The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists." But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts. Musicians caught in cartel turf wars Mexican musicians have previously been targeted by criminal groups that pay them to compose and perform songs that glorify the exploits of their leaders. Such performers often live in close proximity to their drug lord patrons, and can at times get caught up in cartel turf battles. On Thursday, the five musicians from the band Grupo Fugitivo were found dead after prosecutors said they had been kidnapped. Officials said nine suspects believed to be part of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has strong presence in the city, have been arrested. The vehicle belonging to Mexican musical group Grupo Fugitivo is seen outside the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Forced Disappearances, after Mexican authorities confirmed that five members of the band were found dead, in Reynosa, Mexico May 29, 2025. Stringer / REUTERS "Narcocorridos" are a controversial sub-genre of music in Mexico, and the songs have caught the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who recently launched a music contest "for peace and against addictions," seeking to counter the popularity of the music among young people in Mexico and the United States. Several regions in the country have banned "narcocorridos," sparking a recent riot during a concert after a singer refused to perform some of his most popular songs. In January this year, a small plane was reported to have dropped pamphlets on a northwestern city threatening around 20 music artists and influencers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel. In 2018, armed men kidnapped two members of the musical group "Los Norteños de Río Bravo," whose bodies were later found on the federal highway connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. In 2013, 17 musicians from the group Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon, allegedly because of links to a rival gang. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
CBS News
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Popular Mexican band cancels California show, saying Trump administration suspended their visas
Why Trump is pushing military help for Mexico to help fight cartels The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the U.S. State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The announcement also came just two days after the bodies of five Mexican musicians were found in Reynosa along the Texas border. Grupo Firme, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under "administrative review by the U.S. Embassy" and that it would make it "impossible" for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said that visa cases are confidential according to U.S. law and couldn't provide more information on the case. Members of the Mexican regional band "Grupo Firme" perform during a free concert in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Sept. 25, 2022. Eduardo Verdugo / AP The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of "narco-corridos" has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. "I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. "The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists." But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts. Musicians caught in cartel turf wars Mexican musicians have previously been targeted by criminal groups that pay them to compose and perform songs that glorify the exploits of their leaders. Such performers often live in close proximity to their drug lord patrons, and can at times get caught up in cartel turf battles. On Thursday, the five musicians from the band Grupo Fugitivo were found dead after prosecutors said they had been kidnapped. Officials said nine suspects believed to be part of a faction of the Gulf Cartel, which has strong presence in the city, have been arrested. The vehicle belonging to Mexican musical group Grupo Fugitivo is seen outside the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Forced Disappearances, after Mexican authorities confirmed that five members of the band were found dead, in Reynosa, Mexico May 29, 2025. Stringer / REUTERS "Narcocorridos" are a controversial sub-genre of music in Mexico, and the songs have caught the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who recently launched a music contest "for peace and against addictions," seeking to counter the popularity of the music among young people in Mexico and the United States. Several regions in the country have banned "narcocorridos," sparking a recent riot during a concert after a singer refused to perform some of his most popular songs. In January this year, a small plane was reported to have dropped pamphlets on a northwestern city threatening around 20 music artists and influencers for alleged dealings with a warring faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel. In 2018, armed men kidnapped two members of the musical group "Los Norteños de Río Bravo," whose bodies were later found on the federal highway connecting Reynosa to Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. In 2013, 17 musicians from the group Kombo Kolombia were executed by alleged cartel members in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon, allegedly because of links to a rival gang. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
