In Jacumba Hot Springs, California, it’s relatively easy to cross the border.
A hole in a barrier fence near the U.S.-Mexico border has made the remote town east of San Diego a popular destination for migrants coming into the U.S. illegally.
Mexican National Guard rushed to the wall when a CBS News crew approached.
“I’ve never seen that before,” said Sam Schultz, a longtime resident of the area.
Mexico’s National Guard has been on high alert since American officials last week pressured their Mexican counterparts to help tamp down illegal crossings. So far, it’s made an impact.
Daily apprehensions across the southern border have fallen by over 50% since hitting a record high in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But migrants could still be seen gathering in the Jacumba Hot Springs area by the dozens.
“USA safe to people,” a man who traveled from Turkey told CBS News. “Just living good life. I just want that.”
Many of the migrants passing through the area first come to Mexico via Tijuana International Airport. From there, people then journey by bus to open areas of the border. Often led by smugglers, they then cross illegally on foot.
With suitcases and passports in hand, they wait to be apprehended by U.S. authorities on the other side.
This method of entry is often easier and quicker than obtaining an immigration visa, and it gives people time in the U.S. while they wait for their immigration court cases to be decided — which often takes years.
But Schultz, who helps provide food and other goods to migrants in the area, says the recently empty tents won’t stay that way for long.
“There’s a pent-up dam of demand to come across,” he said. The dam is going to break. All we can do, you know, is just be ready for the next deluge to come, because it’s gonna come.”
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