Record number of Nicaraguans making trek to US border: report

A record number of Nicaraguans fled their country to the U.S. this year, escaping violence, poverty and authoritarian rule, according to a New York Times report.

More than 180,000 Nicaraguans crossed into the U.S. this year through the end of November, about 60 times as many as those who entered in the same period two years ago, the Times found.

In November alone, 34,000 Nicaraguan migrants presented themselves to U.S. authorities at the border with Mexico, up from just 1,000 for the entire year in 2017, according to the Times.

While soaring inflation and declining wages are hurting families, many Nicaraguans are also fleeing a ruling government said to be eroding democracy in the Central American nation.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who has ruled since 2007, secured another term last year in an election the U.S. called a sham. His wife, Rosario Murillo, is the vice president.

In a statement at the time, President Biden called attention to the country’s more than 40 jailed opposition leaders, including potential presidential candidates, the blocking of political parties in the election and the suppression of media.

“Long unpopular and now without a democratic mandate, the Ortega and Murillo family now rule Nicaragua as autocrats,” Biden said.

The U.S. has sanctioned more than a hundred Nicaraguan officials that American officials said helped undermine democracy in the country.

Nicaraguans join a record number of migrants who U.S. border agents have apprehended at the border this year.

On Tuesday, Title 42, a policy that allowed authorities to deny migrants asylum claims under a public health emergency, is expected to end after months of legal and political wrangling. Some border state officials are predicting a wave of migrants at the border when the order lifts.