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Latin America & Caribbean Migration Portal

The Patchy Landscape of State English Learner Policies under ESSA
By Leslie Villegas and Delia Pompa

There has been a significant uptick in migration of Brazilians to the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly 18,000 Brazilians were apprehended at the southwest border during fiscal year (FY) 2019, the highest such level since 2007 and a significant increase from just 1,500 apprehensions in FY 2018.

In response, the Trump administration has started sending some Brazilians to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, more commonly known as Remain in Mexico. Since first implemented in January 2019, the program has required nearly 60,000 Central American and other asylum seekers to remain in Mexican border cities where they wait for the duration of their U.S. immigration proceedings, which can take months. Until now, most returned under MPP have been Spanish speakers, making the inclusion of Portuguese-speaking Brazilians a significant departure. "It's discouraging we are placing non-Spanish speakers in a legally, economically, and physically challenging environment without support mechanisms or effective guidance," one U.S. asylum officer said. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials suggest the move was a natural one, given increases in arrivals of asylum seekers and other migrants from beyond Mexico and Central America.

What’s driving the increased Brazilian arrivals? For many it’s the state of the Brazilian economy, which fell into a deep recession in 2015-16 and has emerged with only anemic growth and significant unemployment and underemployment (with nearly one in four workers underemployed). While the economy and employment have improved slightly, inflation and limited opportunities continue to incentivize Brazilians to seek work in the United States. In some small towns, smugglers sell migration packages to residents, sometimes even guaranteeing a job in the United States.

The state of the economy is not the only reason Brazilians are leaving. In Rio de Janeiro, police killings reached a record high in 2019, with violence against women and the LGBTQ population on the rise as well. Broader violence and corruption, including at the highest levels of government, also are significant causes. And ironically, some suggest stricter U.S. border policies could be part of the cause, as some fear the time is “now or never.” The Brazilian immigrant population in the United States, which now stands at about 472,000, has more than doubled since 2000.

There is some sense that the corner has been turned economically under new President Jair Bolsonaro. With Brazilians “often inspired by an optimistic view of their future in a great and prosperous nation,” it remains to be seen how migration flows to the United States will adapt given Brazil’s nascent economic recovery and political dysfunction.