Sun May 11 02:54:11 UTC 2025: ## US Border Policies Cancel Mother’s Day Reunions, Sparking Binational Protest
**Ciudad Juárez, Mexico –** A planned Mother’s Day reunion for families separated by the US-Mexico border was cancelled due to new, stricter US border policies, prompting a binational protest on May 10th. The “Hugs, Not Walls” event, organized annually by the Border Network for Human Rights, was halted after the American military established a new detention zone in Texas.
Hundreds of families, many separated for years due to US President Donald Trump’s anti-migrant policies, gathered on either side of the Rio Bravo/Grande river. They waved and used binoculars to see each other, expressing their anguish at the inability to reunite for Mother’s Day. One woman, Matilde Rosales, who hasn’t seen her sister in eight years, called the cancellation a “heavy blow” and urged President Trump to reconsider his policies.
Irma Cruz of the Border Network condemned the cancellation as “devastating,” highlighting the humanitarian crisis caused by the separation of families. The group redirected participants to a protest in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas. Participants shared emotional stories, with one man traveling over 800 kilometers to attempt a glimpse of his mother who lives in the US. The protest served as a powerful visual representation of the human cost of stringent border security measures.
First Piper 