Connect with us

Published

on

Mothers carrying their children smile, give me a thumbs up, and then point to a riverbank 50 metres or so away.

We’re on a walkway bridge between the Mexican city of Matamoros and Brownsville in Texas. The riverbank is of course the United States – so close you feel you can almost touch it.

For these families wide-eyed with excitement, this is the moment they’ve dreamt of. Many have endured months, even years, on the road.

All the latest US election updates

A GROUP OF MIGRANTS ARE LED FROM MEXICO TO THE US 2

Sometimes travelling thousands of miles through hostile countries, outwitting cartel gangs, and managing dizzyingly contradictory bureaucracy, all to get to this point: an asylum interview with United States border officials, and almost certain entry.

On the migrant ‘Train of Death’: Electric shocks, beatings and brandings

On its face, this all sounds like a system working in perfect harmony with the needy being helped by a welcoming country.

But in reality, migration is a hotly disputed issue that is likely to dominate the Trump-Harris debate, and the run-up to the presidential election itself.

You can watch live coverage of the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump from midnight tonight on Sky News, on web and on mobile

Who is ahead in the US election polls?

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

The group I am with on the bridge is mostly from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela.

They’re claiming asylum, and with their paperwork and appointment email in hand, they approach the border with some trepidation but mostly with excitement and joy.

Many have waited months for their appointment to come through after applying for asylum on the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) app.

This group of a few hundred people on the bridge are now just a few steps from America.

A MIGRANT CHILD SLEEPS ON HER MOTHERS LAP WHILE WAITING TO CROSS FOR CBP APPOINTMENT

As they shuffle forward, CBP guards check their papers, make sure there are no errors, and wave them through to the other side for their case interviews.

These families, these children, are about to start a new life.

Along the border here in Matamoros, there’s little sign of Donald Trump’s border wall, but he’d doubtless approve of the razor wire fortifications on the American side of the Rio Grande.

Experts here say there’s no doubt who those seeking asylum are backing in this election and this debate – and that’s Kamala Harris, who is seen to have a far less hostile approach to immigration.

“I think the best would be a flexible US immigration policy again, like President Biden’s when he began his administration,” Oscar Misael Hernandez-Hernandez said as we chatted alongside the dozens of cars and trucks crossing the border.

OSCAR MISAEL HERNANDEZ HERNANDEZ
Image:
Professor Oscar Misael Hernandez-Hernandez

A professor of social anthropology at the El Colegio de la Frontera Norte research centre and an expert on Mexico-US border issues, he added: “Biden broke with ultra-conservative vision and immigration policy.

“So, I think if Harris implements a migration policy like this if she wins the presidency of the United States, it would be not only quite good for migrants in terms of human rights, but also quite good for international diplomacy, because the relations of the United States, at least with President Trump, if he wins, would be quite disastrous as they were in the past.”

Read more:
When is the US election?

Terrifying risks Indians take to reach US

A GROUP OF MIGRANTS IS LED FROM MEXICO TO THE US
A MIGRANT WAITS FOR HER TURN TO BE CHECKED AT THE US BORDER WITH MEXICO

In shelters and hostels across Mexico, many other migrant families simply have to wait for their border appointments.

It’s like a lottery, and it can take a long time for their number to come up.

Few leave the shelter; they would be easy prey for cartel gangs who would kidnap and hold them for ransom.

Marlen Cabrera, 39, from Honduras, and her family are waiting it out along with 200 others at the Casa del Migrante San Francisco de Asis shelter.

MARLEN CABRERA AND FAMILY
Image:
Marlen Cabrera says making it the US is the only option she and her family have

Any tightening of the immigration rules – as threatened by Donald Trump – would be a disaster for her.

I asked her what she would do if the laws changed with a Trump victory. She says she doesn’t like to think about what-ifs.

“I’ve been here so long, and not being able to get in would be hard because it’s the only option I have,” she said.

“I have to get in. It would be really terrible if we couldn’t. And I don’t just speak for myself, I speak for everyone here.”

Jose Valdivia, the Nicaraguan manager of the shelter, is even clearer.

“Everybody, since the last election, we all wanted the Democrats to win, right? Because the Democrats look out for the little guy,” he told me.

“That’s what everybody here as a migrant wants, we want the Democrats to win. No one wants Trump.”

CBP OFFICER CHECKS MIGRANT PAPERWORK AT BORDER 3
Image:
A US border agent checks migrant paperwork

Day in, day out, in any weather, the migrants line up for their appointment here at the border in Matamoros.

Along the almost 2,000-mile-long border separating Mexico and the United States, thousands of applicants are screened every day and allowed to enter America legally to start new lives in their new home country.

But these migrants are at the centre of one of the most divisive issues in America right now.

Since the summer, border restrictions introduced by the Biden administration, combined with assistance from Mexican authorities who hamper the movement of migrants to the border, has brought about a large reduction in the number of people illegally entering America.

Despite this, President Biden is widely considered to have failed on immigration, and while Kamala Harris’s team have been working hard to cast her as a sort of new candidate and a breath of fresh air, she is – whether they like it or not – part of this administration and is tainted by its perceived failures.

The latest polls suggest Donald Trump scores well on the immigration issue, and his team have been releasing pointed “attack ads” on Kamala Harris and her team on this subject. They in turn have released adverts attacking Trump.

Read more on Sky News:
Three key challenges for Donald Trump
Harvey Weinstein in intensive care at hospital
Three challenges Kamala Harris must overcome

In the debate itself, Trump is widely expected to try to nail Harris on immigration, and she will have to find a way to counter that.

Undoubtedly, she will point out that Trump’s supporters kiboshed a cross-party action plan for migration, but she is still tainted for certain.

While this will all play out in the political rough and tumble of the electoral process, it is important not to forget that thousands upon thousands of people will be affected by America’s future stance on immigration.

And for some asylum seekers, it is quite literally a matter of life and death.

Continue Reading

US

The anniversary of George Floyd’s murder is a reminder of America’s racial divides

Published

on

By

The anniversary of George Floyd's murder is a reminder of America's racial divides

In Minneapolis, the spot where George Floyd was murdered has been turned into a mural.

His face is depicted in street art on a pavement covered in flowers, rosaries, and other trinkets left by people who have come to pay their respects in the last five years.

His final moments, struggling for breath with white police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck, were captured in a viral video that provoked anger, upset, and outrage.

Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck
Image:
Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck

In Minneapolis and other parts of America, there were protests that at points boiled over into unrest.

The events to mark the fifth anniversary of his death took on a very different tone – one of celebration and joy.

Behind a wooden statue of a clenched fist on one end of a junction now renamed George Perry Floyd Square, people gathered in the morning.

There was a moment of prayer before a brass band began to play and the group marched, while singing and chanting.

George Perry Floyd Square, a makeshift memorial area
Image:
George Perry Floyd Square, a makeshift memorial area

‘It made us want to fight harder’

Among those gathered in front of a makeshift stage built in the square were two of Floyd’s family members – his cousin Paris and aunt Mahalia.

To them, the man whose death sparked a racial reckoning in America and further afield, was simply “Perry,” a larger-than-life figure whose presence is missed at family gatherings.

Speaking to me while the speakers behind them thumped and people danced, they didn’t just reflect with sadness though.

There was also pride at a legacy they felt has led to change.

“It made us want to fight harder,” said Mahalia, “and it’s a feeling you cannot explain. When the whole world just stood up.”

George Floyd's aunt Mahalia and cousin Paris
Image:
George Floyd’s aunt Mahalia and cousin Paris

Referring to Chauvin’s eventual murder charge, Paris added: “I think that from here on out, at least officers know that you’re not going to slide through the cracks. Our voices are heard more.”

The tapestry of items outside the Cup Foods convenience store, now renamed Unity Foods, is not the only makeshift memorial in the area.

A short walk away is the “Say Their Names” cemetery, an art installation honouring black people killed by the police.

Meeting me there later in the day, activist Nikema Levy says the installation and George Floyd Square are called “sacred spaces” in the community.

As someone who took to the streets at the time of Floyd’s death and a community organiser for years before that, she’s constantly stopped by people who want to speak to her.

Activist Nikema Levy speaking to Sky News
Image:
Activist Nikema Levy speaking to Sky News

‘White supremacy on steroids’

Once we do manage to speak, Levy reminds me of a wider political picture. One that goes beyond Minneapolis and is a fraught one.

In the week of the anniversary, the US Department of Justice rolled back investigations into some of the largest police forces in the country, including in Minneapolis – a move she calls “diabolical.”

“That type of cruelty is what we have seen since Donald Trump took office on January 20th of this year,” she continued.

“From my perspective, that is white supremacy on steroids. And it should come as no surprise that he would take these types of steps, because these are the things that he talked about on the campaign trail.”

Read more from Sky News:
US-EU trade war fears reignite
Arsenal secure historic Champions League crown
Scientists are on the hunt for dolphin poo

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Has US changed five years after George Floyd’s death?

‘True healing has never taken place’

Trump has argued his policing reforms will help make America’s communities safer.

Even on a day of optimism, with a community coming together, Levy’s words in front of headstones bearing the names of black people who have died at the hands of the police are a reminder of how deep the racial divides in America still are – a sentiment she leaves me with.

“From the days of slavery and Jim Crow in this country, we’ve just had the perception of healing, but true healing has never taken place,” she says.

“So the aftermath of George Floyd is yet another example of what we already know.”

Continue Reading

US

US-EU trade war fears reignite as Europe strikes back at Trump’s threat

Published

on

By

US-EU trade war fears reignite as Europe strikes back at Trump's threat

Fears of a US-EU trade war have been reignited after Europe refused to back down in the face of fresh threats from Donald Trump.

The word tariff has dominated much of the US president’s second term, and he has repeatedly and freely threatened countries with them.

Money blog: Trump sends message to UK on energy bills

This included the so-called “liberation day” last month, where he unleashed tariffs on many of his trade partners.

On Friday, after a period of relative calm which has included striking a deal with the UK, he threatened to impose a 50% tariff on the EU after claiming trade talks with Brussels were “going nowhere”.

The US president has repeatedly taken issue with the EU, going as far as to claim it was created to rip the US off.

However, in the face of the latest hostile rhetoric from Mr Trump’s social media account, the European Commission – which oversees trade for the 27-country bloc – has refused to back down.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said: “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.

“We stand ready to defend our interests.”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing executive orders regarding nuclear energy in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Image:
Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday

Fellow EU leaders and ministers have also held the line after Mr Trump’s comments.

Polish deputy economy minister Michal Baranowski said the tariffs appeared to be a negotiating ploy, with Dutch deputy prime minister Dick Schoof said tariffs “can go up and down”.

French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said the latest threats did nothing to help trade talks.

He stressed “de-escalation” was one of the EU’s main aims but warned: “We are ready to respond.”

Mr Sefcovic spoke with US trade representative Jamieson Greer and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick after Mr Trump’s comments.

Mr Trump has previously backed down on a tit-for-tat trade war with China, which saw tariffs soar above 100%.

Read more:
Trump accepts $400m plane from Qatar
Judge blocks Trump’s Harvard foreign student ban

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

US and China end trade war

Sticking points

Talks between the US and EU have stumbled.

In the past week, Washington sent a list of demands to Brussels – including adopting US food safety standards and removing national digital services taxes, people familiar with the talks told Reuters news agency.

In response, the EU reportedly offered a mutually beneficial deal that could include the bloc potentially buying more liquefied natural gas and soybeans from the US, as well as cooperation on issues such as steel overcapacity, which both sides blame on China.

Stocks tumble as Trump grumbles

Major stock indices tumbled after Mr Trump’s comments, which came as he also threatened to slap US tech giant Apple with a 25% tariff.

The president is adamant that he wants the company’s iPhones to be built in America.

The vast majority of its phones are made in China, and the company has also shifted some production to India.

Shares of Apple ended 3% lower and the dollar sank 1% versus the Japanese yen and the euro rose 0.8% against the dollar.

Continue Reading

US

Trump accused of ‘pouring salt on the wounds’ five years after murder that shook America

Published

on

By

Trump accused of 'pouring salt on the wounds' five years after murder that shook America

In the dozens of framed images and newspaper clippings covering the walls of his office in downtown New York City, Al Sharpton is pictured alongside presidents and leading protests.

He has spent decades campaigning and is perhaps the most famous civil rights activist in the US today.

Many of those clippings on the wall relate to one moment in May 2020 – the murder of George Floyd.

George Floyd was killed while under arrest in Minneapolis in May
Image:
George Floyd was killed while under arrest in Minneapolis in May 2020

Speaking to Sky News ahead of the five-year anniversary of that moment, Mr Sharpton remembered the combination of “humiliation and deep anger” he felt seeing the footage of Mr Floyd’s death that swept the world.

“The more I watched, the more angry I felt,” he said.

Mr Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer.

Mr Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported he had made a purchase using counterfeit money.

Chauvin knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, while he was handcuffed and lying face down in the street.

Chauvin pressed his knee on Mr Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, as the victim repeatedly said "I can't breathe" Pic: AP
Image:
Chauvin pressed his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, as the victim repeatedly said ‘I can’t breathe’. Pic: AP

‘A seismic moment’

For Mr Sharpton, who has marched with countless other families, this felt different because it was “graphic and unnecessary”.

“What kind of person would hear somebody begging for their life and ignore them?” he said.

“I had no idea this would become a seismic moment,” he continued.

“I think people would accuse civil rights leaders, activists like me of being opportunistic, but we don’t know if one call from the next one is going to be big, all we know is we have to answer to the call.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Has US changed five years after George Floyd’s death?

Trump ‘pouring salt on the wounds’

Mr Floyd’s death took place during Donald Trump’s first term in the White House.

During Trump’s second term, his administration has moved to repeal federal oversight plans for the Minneapolis Police Department – a move originally supported by Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Sharpton believes Mr Trump and the Department of Justice have purposely timed this for the 5th Anniversary of Mr Floyd’s Death.

“It’s pouring salt on the wounds of those that were killed, and those that fought,” he said.

“I think Donald Trump and his administration is actively trying to reverse and revoke changes and progress made with policing based on the movement we created after George Floyd’s death, worldwide.”

Read more from Sky News:
‘Grandpa robbers’ guilty over Kim Kardashian heist
Train station stabbing in Germany

Protesters took to the street the day before jury selection, due to take three weeks, started
Image:
The murder of George Floyd sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world

Mr Sharpton still supports George Floyd’s family and will be with them this weekend in Houston, Texas, where many of them will mark the anniversary.

He said the legacy of Mr Floyd’s death is still being written.

Evoking the civil rights movement of the 1960s he said: “The challenge is we must turn those moments into permanent movements, it took nine years from 1955 to 1964 for Dr [Martin Luther] King in that movement to get a Civil Rights Act after Rosa Parks sat in the front of a bus in Montgomery.

“We’re five years out of George Floyd, we’ve got to change the laws.

“We can do it in under nine years, but we can’t do it if we take our eye off the prize.”

Continue Reading

Trending