Effects of Pandemic Containment and Migration Deterrence Policies: Migrant’s Perspectives

During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts warned of asylum seekers’ and migrants’ increased vulnerability to contagion, particularly those detained in the United States, traveling north toward the U.S.-Mexico border, or waiting at the border to cross. Despite United States deterrence policies aimed at reducing border crossings during the pandemic, migrants continued their attempts to reach the U.S., facing heightened obstacles. Analyzing digital stories recorded by migrants for the Humanizando la Deportación archive reveals that while pandemic containment actions caused substantial harm, neither these measures nor the disease itself—which appears as a background factor in many narratives—significantly reduced migratory flows in the region.