COVID-19 and Migrant Vulnerability in Tijuana: A Looming Crisis

This text came about out of a shared concern for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous and abrupt changes in public policy that have been enacted to address it on the very large population of migrants living precariously in Tijuana. The concern quickly turned to urgency as it has recently become clear that COVID-19 is beginning to hit the city with force. As of April 15, Baja California is the state with the third largest number of cases in the nation, and Tijuana is the hardest hit city in the state. Policies on both sides of the border have radically changed daily life in Tijuana for migrants in only a matter of weeks, and service providing agencies are clearly struggling to adjust. As an onslaught of COVID-19 in the coming weeks seems likely, a rapid response is needed to ensure that vulnerable migrants do not take the brunt of the blow.