For now the mainstream media has decided to put the U.S. Mexico border crisis on the backburner but the humanitarian dilemma has still not been resolved. Children are still being smuggled over the border by the cartels and the agents who are supposed to secure it have their hands tied due to failed government policies. It’s kind of like the media has turned a blind eye to the problem at the southern border which has left many Americans in the dark as to what’s really happening there. 

Meet Peter Santenello, a vlogger who travels the world and builds relationships with people, giving his YouTube viewers a true and honest take of what’s really happening in that region. He will visit countries like Iran and Turkey and give his subscribers a bit of a glimpse of the everyday lives of the people that live there.

As the U.S. Mexico border crisis came into the spotlight, each news network had their own perspective based on their political affiliation. Unfortunately, this skewed the information coming from the southern border, delivering only half of the story. In order to gain clarity, Peter decided to visit the border town of McAllen, Texas which houses the U.S. Border Patrol Central Processing Center that processes all illegal immigrants that cross into the United States illegally. It was in Granjeno City, Texas that Peter Santenello met up with Raul from The Cajun Navy, who is involved in monitoring the border. That’s where the border wall is and where migrants are crossing illegally into the United States every day. Together they saw the crisis and dangers that evolve from the southern border on a daily basis with no fix in sight.

How Long Is The Border Between U.S. & Mexico?

The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans 1,954 miles or 3,145 kilometers. There are many strong points along the border where it’s practically impossible to cross over into the United States but it’s at  the weakest point that the migrants are smuggled through. Border walls have gaps in them and the drug cartels take advantage and strategically plan how to evade the patrol agents. Once the smugglers’ job is complete they quickly go back over the border into Mexico and get busy with their next job. There are a total of four states that share borders with Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona. These borders are protected by a federal agency that is bound to government policies that make it easier for illegal immigrants to enter the United States. It’s a highly complex situation and more often than not, border patrol agents have their hands tied while putting their own lives on the line to protect the citizens of the United States of America from criminals entering here.

Why Are The Migrants Not Just Sent Back To Mexico?

Due to poor legislation, once a migrant is detained in the United States they have a right to a day in court to plead their case. Until that happens it could be weeks, months, or even years. Especially now that our judicial systems are backlogged from being closed due to the pandemic, court dates for illegal aliens are getting pushed off even more. 

Once a migrant is caught he is taken to a makeshift facility by the border and from there  transported to a processing center. Raul and Peter got a chance to look at the Donna Processing Facility in Donna, Texas but were steered away from the entrance by a guard. One needs to understand that the government does not want any added media attention and will drive away journalists to prevent damage control at the Donna Processing Facility. The area has been expanded recently to handle the influx of illegal aliens. 

What’s Happening At The Donna Processing Facility?

According to Raul, the facility was originally set up to process 260 immigrants. In the beginning of April 2021, there were approximately 5,000 illegal immigrants there and the government was forced to expand to be able to house more people. The facility is on a 40 acre plot of land and takes up 185,000 feet. The building is made up of highly durable tents that are climate-controlled, waterproof, and provide plenty of space where immigrants can eat three meals a day. 

Being that we are in midst of a pandemic the facility was set up with a strong focus on hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus. Bathrooms and shower stalls are cleaned multiple times a day, and plenty of antibacterial soap is placed by each washing station. As per the flooring, it’s a vinyl natural grey broken slate mosaic look that pretty much rolled out as the base flooring for the facility. Within the bathroom and bathing area there are heavy-duty rubber floor mats laid out on top of the vinyl that help prevent slippage. An area which requires flooring with more durability are the guard towers and control rooms. Such areas will use rubber interlocking floor tiles that neatly lay out and can protect sensitive equipment from getting damaged in case of a fall. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection will make use of state-of-the-art surveillance devices to keep a close eye on the facility and the migrants it houses there. 

Who Stays & Who Goes?

It’s like this, any immigrant that is Mexican who claims asylum will be sent back to Mexico. In addition, there are select Middle Eastern countries that cannot claim asylum either. The ones who are permitted to stay based on government policy are the ones primarily coming from South America. People seeking a better life from countries like Guatemala and Venezuela will pay $15,000 USD to be smuggled over the border. The final leg of the journey for the smugglers is the U.S. Mexico borders on select weak spots like the Rio Grande River. There the cartels will make use of rafts to get their clients into the United States. Once in the USA, all the immigrant has to do is get apprehended and they are in. 

Women & Children Being Smuggled Over The Border Are In Grave Danger

However, getting to the U.S. Mexico border is no easy feat. As a matter of fact, the ones that are being smuggled are in grave danger and can get killed along the way. If they do survive the journey the women will often get sexually abused as they are at the mercy of the cartel groups. If something does not go right small children will be left all alone in the wilderness to fend for themselves. What’s most unfortunate is that the ones who are benefitting from poor government policies are the drug cartels. The business of human smuggling pays very well in a Mexican economy that is quite limited. There is a very sophisticated human surveillance system in place that assists the smugglers consisting of little children playing along the Rio Grande River. They will get paid for notifying the smugglers when the U.S. Border Patrol agents are scanning the area for people trying to cross the border illegally. 

Understanding The Mindset Of Those Who Are In Impoverished Countries

As a born American it’s hard to get into the mind of someone who is looking to escape a country that has no future for them or their families. There is no security and when there is a police force in place they can often be paid off for the right price. Therefore they will subject themselves and their families to a long and dangerous journey that culminates with being smuggled across the U.S. Mexico border. At that point they will do anything to get into this country even if it means being tossed over a high steel fence or floating on a makeshift raft over the Rio Grande River. No one blames them for wanting to leave their homelands but it needs to be done in a legal manner. The correct way to claim asylum is to come through a port of entry and go through the process to become an American citizen. 

Final Words

We are living in a time where our universities have indoctrinated their students to believe that America is racist and anti-minority groups. Besides for the utter falsehood, these individuals who preach such ideas should take a visit to the U.S. Mexico border and see how people are killing themselves to get into this country. The United States is a democracy founded by the people and for the people. The countries which these illegal immigrants are fleeing from are full of corruption through and through. If there is one thing we should take from the border crisis is the rights that we have as citizens to practice our religion and livelihood without anyone taking that away from us. Students of universities that believe that America is not the land of the free and home of the brave should exchange their citizenship with those in impoverished countries around the world. Only then they would understand how blessed they are to live in the good old USA.