According to community leaders, more than 11,000 migrants and asylum seekers are currently waiting in shelters and camps on the Mexican side of the border, while the debate over US immigration policy rages on in Washington. These individuals hope to enter the United States through legal pathways established by the Biden administration, as thousands illegally enter the country every day.

In Tijuana, Mexico, approximately 3,800 migrants from Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela are staying in shelters, as reported by Enrique Lucero, the municipal migration affairs director. In Reynosa, Mexico, another 3,273 migrants await their turn at Senda De Vida shelters, according to Pastor Hector Silva. In nearby Matamoros, an estimated 4,000 migrants are living in camps, shelters, and abandoned homes, as stated by Glady Cañas, who heads the nonprofit organization Ayudandoles a Triunfar.

Cañas noted that the waiting migrants feel "desperate," but many still hold onto hope, relying on mechanisms such as the CBP One app, which automates appointment scheduling with border patrol for claiming asylum.

US border cities have been overwhelmed in recent weeks, with an unprecedented surge of people crossing into the country from Mexico. Federal authorities reported a seven-day average of over 9,600 migrant encounters along the US southern border in December, compared to about 6,800 encounters at the end of November.

The perilous journey across the Rio Grande has claimed lives, with three migrants drowning in the Matamoros area in December, as stated by Cañas. Despite the danger, some migrants opt to cross the river, driven by the images and messages they receive from those who have already been processed and released by US immigration authorities.

However, the chances of successful entry into the United States remain slim. The US Department of Homeland Security has already deported or returned over 445,000 migrants since May, primarily those who crossed the southern border.

To address the overwhelming influx of migrants, the federal government has closed ports of entry in several states and reassigned personnel for transportation and processing. Temporary suspensions of rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso were also implemented but have now resumed.

Although one group of migrants in Eagle Pass has recently been cleared and processed, US Customs and Border Protection is still grappling with the ongoing border surge. The agency acknowledges that illegal crossings persist, particularly in rural areas of Arizona, where "bad actors" push migrants to enter between ports of entry.

Additionally, large groups of migrants are arriving at the border by train. Sister Isabel Turcios, director of a migrant shelter in Piedras Negras, Mexico, confirmed that around 1,000 migrants arrived by train on Monday. Violence in the streets of Piedras Negras temporarily halted some of these groups from crossing into the US.

The situation at the border and US immigration policy will be discussed at a meeting in Mexico City on Wednesday. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and President Biden's Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.

As the debate over immigration policy continues, the plight of thousands of migrants waiting on the Mexican side of the border remains uncertain. With illegal crossings and limited resources challenging US authorities, finding a comprehensive solution to this ongoing crisis remains a top priority.