Joe Biden faces a humanitarian crisis at the southern border

THE FIRST thing you see after crossing the bridge from Reynosa, in Mexico, into Texas is a large white sign with bright red letters that spell out “BINGO”. It is meant as an advertisement for a hall where people can play the game. But it also serves as a reminder of the long odds and random luck that lie in store for those making their way to America.

Hoping fortune may be on their side now that a pro-immigrant president is in the White House, a rising number of migrants are arriving. Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadoreans are fleeing violence, poverty and a pair of hurricanes. Mexicans are coming to escape a contracting economy. From last October through February, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which guards America’s borders, had around 400,000 encounters along the south-western border. That is the highest number during those months since 2006.