I live in the Trifinio area of Central America. The point where Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras intersect. A border town that has existed for 500 years. As such, it has been involved with illegal “interstate” commerce trends, much to the dislike of US policy. Today, the big business is global human trafficking. Daily, thousands of migrants from many nationalities pass through here. Many have “guides” and have paid a onetime fee for their trip. Most are making their way piecemeal, but still feeding the illicit logistics train as they are the only ones that provide transportation. Any freelancers who think they can roll into town, pack a few desperate migrants into their Toyota for a fee and head north are quickly weeded out and usually stuffed into hefty bags and left for the buzzards. No joke. So, one the other variables to add to the problems solution is the corruption and destruction illegal migration leaves in its wake. Towns people turn to vigilantism to reduce the crime the transients bring. They mug, steal, beg, and hook to get the money to pay the traffickers for transport. The traffickers bribe the police and military for safe passage. Police do nothing if a local is mugged or store is robbed because that money comes back to them as a bribe. They also don’t want to be left off the payroll. This scofflawlessness follows them to the US as they seek any means necessary eek out a living. The folks I see and talk to daily (as I am a visible target for the migrant beggars). In my opinion, 100% of the migrants coming through here are economic
“Refugees” not political refugees. They have zero right to asylum. Their stories morph as they get closer to the US border and get coaching from the traffickers and then later US immigration lawyers who spin their stories to keep their cases alive in the system and the migrant on the paycheck hook. I would say that the money involved in illegal migration eclipses Walmart earnings!
Great point Joe!! I was careful to cover the issue from a purely US "pull" point of view because it highlights the hypocrisy of our leaders. In reality, there are "push" factors as well. It is easy to forget that we're talking about the lives of real people. The secondary and tertiary repercussions of a wicked problem have real effects and people suffer and die.
I live in the Trifinio area of Central America. The point where Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras intersect. A border town that has existed for 500 years. As such, it has been involved with illegal “interstate” commerce trends, much to the dislike of US policy. Today, the big business is global human trafficking. Daily, thousands of migrants from many nationalities pass through here. Many have “guides” and have paid a onetime fee for their trip. Most are making their way piecemeal, but still feeding the illicit logistics train as they are the only ones that provide transportation. Any freelancers who think they can roll into town, pack a few desperate migrants into their Toyota for a fee and head north are quickly weeded out and usually stuffed into hefty bags and left for the buzzards. No joke. So, one the other variables to add to the problems solution is the corruption and destruction illegal migration leaves in its wake. Towns people turn to vigilantism to reduce the crime the transients bring. They mug, steal, beg, and hook to get the money to pay the traffickers for transport. The traffickers bribe the police and military for safe passage. Police do nothing if a local is mugged or store is robbed because that money comes back to them as a bribe. They also don’t want to be left off the payroll. This scofflawlessness follows them to the US as they seek any means necessary eek out a living. The folks I see and talk to daily (as I am a visible target for the migrant beggars). In my opinion, 100% of the migrants coming through here are economic
“Refugees” not political refugees. They have zero right to asylum. Their stories morph as they get closer to the US border and get coaching from the traffickers and then later US immigration lawyers who spin their stories to keep their cases alive in the system and the migrant on the paycheck hook. I would say that the money involved in illegal migration eclipses Walmart earnings!
Great point Joe!! I was careful to cover the issue from a purely US "pull" point of view because it highlights the hypocrisy of our leaders. In reality, there are "push" factors as well. It is easy to forget that we're talking about the lives of real people. The secondary and tertiary repercussions of a wicked problem have real effects and people suffer and die.
Excellent, insightful article -- and a powerful illustration of a truly wicked problem
Approval from our Chief Vinoveterati...makes my day!