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Life at the U.S.–Mexico border under the Trump administration

December 16, 2025

The article examines how Trump administration immigration policies during his second term have severely impacted migrants, particularly women and girls, attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. These policies include suspending asylum and refugee programs, shutting down the CBP One appointment app, and reinstating the "Remain in Mexico" program, effectively eliminating legal pathways for migrants fleeing violence and climate-related disasters. Organizations like Border Kindness continue providing humanitarian aid despite funding challenges and risks, while migrants face increased vulnerability to violence, exploitation, and human rights violations during detention and deportation.

Who is affected

  • Migrant women and girls crossing the US-Mexico border
  • Asylum seekers and refugees fleeing violence, persecution, and environmental devastation
  • Approximately 280,000 people who were attempting to access CBP One daily before its shutdown
  • Tens of thousands of migrants whose scheduled immigration appointments were canceled
  • Unauthorized immigrants being detained and deported by ICE
  • Border Kindness, a nonprofit organization providing humanitarian support
  • Communities of color being stopped based on skin color or accent
  • Organizations supporting migrants facing funding withdrawals
  • Local communities affected by ICE raids across the United States

What action is being taken

  • Border Kindness is providing food, water, medical care, legal aid, and clothing to migrants along the US-Mexico border
  • The organization is facilitating mutual aid by redistributing resources from community donors
  • Organizations including the National Immigration Law Center, Freedom for Migrants, and The Haitian Bridge Alliance are resisting Trump administration policies through education and direct services
  • Community members in Los Angeles are protesting ICE tactics
  • Two women have created an online database to track ICE raids
  • Neighbors across the country are physically standing between ICE agents and their communities

Why it matters

  • This matters because the elimination of legal immigration pathways forces desperate migrants—particularly vulnerable women and children—into increasingly dangerous situations where they face violence, exploitation, and human rights violations. The policies represent a systematic dismantling of asylum protections that have been legal since 1980, violating both international and US law while targeting people fleeing life-threatening circumstances including climate disasters and persecution. The dehumanizing rhetoric and enforcement practices normalize discrimination and create fear in immigrant communities, while ICE operations reportedly violate due process rights through detentions without proper warrants or trials. The situation demonstrates a humanitarian crisis where people are forced to choose between deadly risks at the border or returning to the dangers they fled.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices

Life at the U.S.–Mexico border under the Trump administration