Migrant Smuggling Still Thrives Amid Tightened Border Security
Recent Arrests Highlight Persistent Issue of Human Smuggling in Border Regions
Two teenagers were recently apprehended in Juarez, Mexico, for holding captive four Jordanian migrants, a stark revelation of the human smuggling crisis plaguing border regions. This incident establishes that smugglers continue to thrive, even amid the intensified security along the Mexico-U.S. border.
Teens Apprehended Holding Migrants Captive underscores the Plight of Migrants
Police intervention led to the arrest of these teenagers in a home located in the Campesina neighborhood, southeast of downtown Juarez, following alerts from alarmed neighbors. The perpetrators, equipped with a loaded shotgun, had hostages who were likely detained by smugglers. The victims had been confined for a month, during which they experienced mistreatment. This raises alarming concerns about the escalating dangers encountered by migrants traversing Mexico on their journey to the U.S.
Migrant Smuggling – A Scourge Along the El Paso-Juarez-Southern New Mexico Corridor
This incident signals an urgent issue pervading the El Paso-Juarez-Southern New Mexico corridor, increasingly notorious for migrant smuggling, despite a significant drop in U.S. Border Patrol encounters. Unauthorized migrant apprehensions in the El Paso sector alone crossed the 10,000 mark in October, an alarming indicator of the scale of unlawful migration, often orchestrated by smugglers.
Awaiting the Incoming Administration’s Immigration Policy
The newly elected President has vowed to enforce unprecedented mass deportation, prompting a desperate race amongst migrants to breach the U.S. borders before Inauguration Day. However, there’s a growing fear that this stance could inadvertently append momentum to human trafficking, thus fulfilling criminal networks’ objectives.
The Modern, Legal Approach to Immigration: A Lifeline for Migrants?
Amid concerns of mass deportations, one ray of hope is the introduction of legal immigration pathways like the government app that enables individuals to apply for asylum in the U.S. while in Mexico, and then legally cross the border when their appointment is due. Not only has this system provided an essential lifeline for some migrants, but it has also been an effective countermeasure to human smuggling and trafficking.
Overhauling Immigration Policies Risks Fuelling Organized Crime
However, concerns loom about the incoming president’s policies further narrowing these already limited legal pathways and consequently, amplifying the demand for smuggling services. Such an upheaval in immigration could unwittingly spike organized crime, thereby enriching smugglers. Martha Bárcena, the former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S., suggests that smuggling profits are now channeling a rivalry with drug trafficking revenues, with estimated annual earnings ranging between $4 billion and $12 billion.
Human Smuggling – A Lucrative Business For Crime Syndicates
Human smuggling has emerged as one of the primary income streams for crime groups strewn across Mexico, Central and South America, with approximately 80% of undocumented migrants resorting to smugglers to guide them through perilous routes to the U.S. It’s incumbent upon law enforcement and policymakers to ensure immigration policies don’t inadvertently fuel the demand for human smuggling.
Originally Post From https://www.latintimes.com/teens-arrested-near-border-holding-migrants-captive-authorities-investigate-links-smuggling-ring-567396
