More Ecuadorians move to U.S., spared many others’ hurdles

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and GONZALO SOLANO
Associated Press

SPRING VALLEY, New York (AP) — Amid economic woes and rising violence, more Ecuadorians are leaving their country and migrating to cross the border into the United States. The number of people from Ecuador detained near the U.S.-Mexico border has spiked. Ecuadorians don’t face the same hurdles as migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. U.S. policies that have reduced illegal crossings largely target people from those countries. It’s part of the piecemeal nature of U.S. immigration policy. Ecuadorians are generally allowed to stay in the U.S. while pursing asylum. The Biden administration wants to be able to send migrants back to Mexico if they travel through, cross illegally and don’t qualify for exemptions.