MEXICO CITY — A prominent shelter for migrants in southern Mexico finds itself without a medical professional amidst an escalating humanitarian crisis. A critical initiative designed to offer mental health resources to LGBTQ+ youth escaping Venezuela has been terminated. Furthermore, several “Safe Mobility Offices” that previously allowed migrants to apply for legal entry into the United States have closed across Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala.
This situation arises just days after Donald Trump’s new administration commenced, with his directive to suspend U.S. foreign aid significantly impacting the migration issue that initially contributed to his electoral success. Grassroots organizations throughout Latin America, which have been pivotal in assisting migrants, are now severely weakened, resulting in a more complex and hazardous journey northward. The future of essential programs aimed at addressing the violence, poverty, and human rights violations spurring record migration rates is also in jeopardy.
On January 20, Trump swiftly enacted a broad 90-day halt on most foreign assistance distributed through the State Department. This decision effectively suspended thousands of humanitarian, developmental, and security programs globally, compelling U.S. aid organizations and local partners to lay off many aid workers. The United States is the foremost global provider of foreign assistance, yet some European nations allocate a larger portion of their national budgets to aid efforts. Although funding levels for aid to Africa surpass the approximate $2 billion allocated to Latin America annually, the Western Hemisphere has consistently been a focal point for both Democratic and Republican administrations alike.
The intertwined nature of trade, migration, and narcotics trafficking between the U.S. and Latin America has grown increasingly significant, particularly in light of the amplified influence of China and Russia in recent years. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarks on his first official overseas trip, visiting Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, the regional dynamics are likely to come to the forefront.
The shelter known as the Peace Oasis of the Holy Spirit Amparito, located in Villahermosa, has struggled to maintain its operations as Mexican authorities, responding to pressure from the U.S. to reduce migration, have relegated many migrants to its care. The freeze on aid has forced the organization managing the shelter to eliminate its only doctor, a social worker, and a child psychologist.
In the aftermath of Trump’s directive, the shelter has sought alternative funding from the Mexican government for projects overseen by the United Nations to facilitate transportation for migrants wishing to return to their home countries. Presently, four families from Honduras, Ecuador, and El Salvador are stranded as a result. “The crisis is only going to worsen,” the shelter warned in a statement. “The most affected will be the population we serve.”
Further afield, in Bogota, Colombia, aid organizations are also facing turmoil. The city acts as a primary destination for over 7 million Venezuelans who have fled the economic collapse and repression under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime. It is also a launch point for over 800,000 migrants—mostly Venezuelans—who have attempted the perilous journey northward through the dangerous Darién Gap in search of a better life in the U.S.
Among the groups most frequently marginalized are LGBTQ+ youths, who experience disproportionately high instances of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. For the past year, the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley had been preparing a U.S.-funded initiative to provide mental health support to LGBTQ+ adolescents from Venezuela and Colombian youth displaced by ongoing conflict. However, just as Leila Younes, a gender specialist, arrived in Bogota to initiate the program, she received a distressing stop-work order from the State Department. This abrupt change forced her to return home, and the Human Rights Center now urgently seeks $300,000 to sustain their research efforts. “We spent a year preparing with our partners, and overnight, we were told to stop,” Younes expressed. “No transition, no time to secure other funding.”
Although the suspension of humanitarian aid is intended to last only 90 days pending review, Younes is doubtful about the prospects of reviving the project. Throughout his campaign, Trump targeted initiatives benefiting transgender youth and has taken extensive measures to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. “This isn’t just a funding cut—it’s part of a rollback on LGBTQI+ rights,” she stated.
During Trump’s first term, funding was allocated to programs in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru focused on the integration of Venezuelan migrants, as well as initiatives in Costa Rica aimed at resettling individuals opposing Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. This form of aid aligned closely with Trump’s foreign policy objectives to diminish the influence of undemocratic regimes and discourage potential migrants from heading toward the U.S., as articulated by Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. “We’re likely to see much of the foreign assistance in the region understood through a migration lens,” Selee noted, indicating a potential shift toward increasing funding for the integration of previously returned migrants while reducing support for transit aid.
Selee further remarked that sustained funding aimed at addressing the root causes of migration—which was initially a priority for the Biden administration—is less likely to resume under the current policies. Trump has also dismantled the offices established by Biden in various countries to facilitate legal pathways for migrants seeking asylum instead of undertaking the treacherous journey to the U.S. border.
Historically, U.S. funding directed toward Latin America has encompassed a myriad of areas, such as child health nutrition, legal reforms, and press freedoms. However, the preeminent focus has been on security assistance aimed at combating gang violence, eradicating illegal drug crops, and reinforcing the rule of law in the region. Liliana Ayalde, a former ambassador to Brazil and Paraguay, emphasized that long-term investments in state-building initiatives, like the upwards of $10 billion allocated to “Plan Colombia” since the early 2000s, foster significant goodwill even if the impact on migration patterns remains challenging to quantify.
“Trust isn’t something you can turn on and off in a conflict zone,” Ayalde warned, alluding to the risk of losing credibility and reliability as a long-term partner for aid. Such uncertainty could prove beneficial for China, America’s primary rival for influence in Latin America. With the U.S. foreign policy agenda shifting away from the region following the Cold War, China has surged ahead through substantial infrastructure investments and unconditional lending. Observers assert that this moment poses a challenge for U.S. interests in maintaining its influence as it appears to disarm unilaterally in the face of competing geopolitical dynamics.
In this evolving landscape, the ramifications of the U.S. foreign aid freeze continue to unfold, highlighting the fragile state of humanitarian support and the dire conditions faced by migrants across Latin America.
