By Lizbeth Diaz

TIJUANA (Mexico) – Children sleep in tents on the ground, without heat or cold, at a temporary camp that houses hundreds of migrants close to the Mexican border. The children don’t attend school. They were some of the first to be born in America.

Mexican officials have expressed concern about the dangers faced by children, who often travel with their parents and relatives across Mexico. People smugglers claim that having a minor allows them to get into the United States easier.

The border city of Tijuana recently conducted a census and found that 40% were minors.

Reuters talked to more than 20 children who were living in this camp. Of these, four had US birth certificates.

All of the U.S.-born kids claimed they fled when their parents became undocumented and were sent back through Mexico.

Evelyn (a Mexican-born girl), said that her Mexican mother had given Evelyn a birth record stating she was born here. My mom and I would like to travel to the United States.

Evelyn stated that although my sister and me have U.S. citizenship papers, her dad was forced to move here. Evelyn added, “My mom took all my siblings,” Evelyn 10. She cries often because she doesn’t have enough money to feed herself.

American-born children don’t necessarily need to live in hardship in order to seek entry to the United States.

Although they automatically get citizenship upon birth, all U.S.-born children and their parents in the camp that Reuters interviewed said they do not wish to be separated. They left the United States together with the intention of returning together.

Illegal immigration soared in 2021, and more than 39,000 foreign-born children were registered through September by Mexico’s Unit for Migration Policy, Registry and Identity of Persons. This is an increase of 377% over 2020.

Josue (7 years old) from Honduran, sitting on the asphalt in front of the camp said that his dream was for him to be a doctor in America because he didn’t like seeing people die.

Josue recalled the hardships he experienced on his trek, including the cold, hunger and exhaustion. He also shared survival skills that he learned along the way, like riding on a Mexican freight train called “The Beast”. This is the type of train migrants use to get north.

Also, he was taught to how to call police to have him detained and also to show strength and not to cry when his mother is gone.

He said, “In Honduras, they pointed a weapon at my father, they wanted him to die, that’s why they came.”

Mexico recently offered humanitarian visas to pregnant women and children traveling south from Mexico as part of a migrant caravan, despite being under heavy pressure from the United States.

According to Reuters witnesses the caravan was full of young families. The caravan was stopped at an intersection because dozens were too tired to continue walking.

Pedro, a 15 year-old immigrant had also a Los Angeles birth certificate that showed he was born there. He said the same about his brothers. When his father deported, Pedro’s mother took them to Mexico.

Now, he cleans Tijuana’s automobiles with a small cloth and earns whatever others are willing to pay. He said, “I have never worked before but it’s something I want to do for my mom.”

Little children ran around in superhero costumes, seemingly unaware of what was happening at camp.

Superman, I’m your Superman!” A young boy shouted, his heat rash breaking out on his sun-scorched skin.