International
The Mexican border warns of the impact if Trump restricts temporary work visas
Activists and migrants warn of the migratory impact on the Mexican border and on the inflation of the United States due to the mass deportations that the future government of Donald Trump could carry out and the possible restrictions on temporary non-agricultural visas that President Joe Biden expanded by more than 64,000.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week this number of additional visas for temporary non-agricultural workers during fiscal year 2025, permits known as H-2B that will be added to the 66,000 that Congress authorizes annually.
The measure addresses the growing demand for labor in sectors such as hospitality, construction, gardening and food processing, among others, which depend on temporary workers to operate during seasonal peaks.
But US media have reported that the program is in danger during the next presidency of Trump, who has warned of using the Army to carry out mass deportations and has announced appointments of officials who wrote the ‘Project 2025’, which proposes to restrict H-2 visas.
This contrasts with the Biden Government, which “is looking for how to resume what happened in the 1940s,” when the United States implemented the Bracero Program to bring temporary Mexican workers, said Emilio Alberto López, professor at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, a state bordering the United States.
“The United States, through a macroeconomic crisis, has quite strong inflation, it will also have very strong challenges, and I almost think it goes like in that sense, giving the possibility of these jobs, but basically temporary,” said the internationalist and migration scholar.
Impacted nationalities
Of the 64,000 additional visas, at least 20,000 will be reserved for workers from the three countries of the Northern Triangle of Central America, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, in addition to Haiti, in an effort to offer legal migration alternatives and reduce irregular flows to the United States.
The remainder will be allocated to other regions of the world, with priority given to employers demonstrating an urgent and specific need.
“The Latin race, from the last country in South America to Mexico, all Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans, are the ones who are raising the economy to the United States,” Venezuelan Milkar Linares, who is stranded in Ciudad Juárez, bordering the US city of El Paso, Texas, told EFE.
Although there is uncertainty about Trump’s measures and the impact on migrants, Linares thinks that in the end the economic reality will prevail.
“Because it’s hard for an American to move a chair to sit down, open the door to go out and, with all due respect and if they feel offended I’m sorry, but what is in sight doesn’t need glasses,” he said.
Reactions and challenges
Business associations in the United States have applauded Biden’s measure for considering it an important step to ensure the continuity of operations in key sectors.
But Professor López Reyes warned that “these visas have already been criticized by some experts, especially those who work on human trafficking issues, because it is very easy for workers to exploit.”
The US government has promised to implement stricter measures to monitor compliance with labor laws in this program, including more frequent inspections and more severe sanctions for employers who engage in illegal practices.
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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