Cartel violence against migrants headed to US border on the rise: Police

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

WHILE MIGRANT CROSSINGS AT THE U-S SOUTHERN BORDER ARE DOWN– VIOLENCE AGAINST BORDER-BOUND ASYLUM SEEKERS IS ON THE RISE.

AND SOME MIGRANT ADVOCACY GROUPS ARE BLAMING BORDER RESTRICTIONS FOR THE UPTICK IN CRIME.

AUTHORITIES IN CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO, SAY THEY’VE SAVED MORE THAN 12-HUNDRED MIGRANTS FROM CRIMINAL GANGS OVER THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS AS KIDNAPPINGS, EXTORTION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST IMMIGRANTS IN MEXICO TRYING TO CROSS THE BORDER IS GETTING WORSE.

ABDUCTED MIGRANTS ARE REPORTEDLY HELD IN CRAMPED STASH HOUSES NEAR THE U-S BORDER. LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYS THEY ARE RARELY GIVEN FOOD OR WATER.

AMERICAN MIGRANT SUPPORT NONPROFITS BLAME STRICTER U-S IMMIGRATION POLICY FOR THE INCREASE IN VIOLENCE.

THE HOPE BORDER INSTITUTE SAYS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ORDER TO CLOSE THE BORDER TO ASYLUM SEEKERS WITHOUT APPOINTMENTS IN JUNE PUT MIGRANTS IN DANGER.

THE INSTITUTE SAYS CARTELS ROUTINELY KIDNAP MIGRANTS AND DEMAND RANSOMS FROM THEIR FAMILIES– IN SOME CASES UP TO 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

AUTHORITIES FOUND 10 SUDANESE AND MOROCCAN NATIONALS ON A HIGHWAY TRAVELING FROM CHIHUAHUA TO JUAREZ LAST WEEK. THE MIGRANTS WERE REPORTEDLY RELEASED AFTER THEIR FAMILIES PAID A RANSOM.

POLICE SAY WHAT MIGRANTS WANT IS A BETTER LIFE IN THE U-S– BUT ARE INSTEAD FALLING VICTIM TO VIOLENT CRIMINALS.

THE HOPE INSTITUTE IS URGING THE U-S AND MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE IMMIGRATION POLICIES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO SEEK ASYLUM AND HOPEFULLY KEEP MIGRANTS SAFE FROM GANGS. .

THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ISSUED A WARNING LAST MONTH– URGING ASYLUM SEEKERS NOT TO RELY ON HUMAN SMUGGLERS. CARTELS RUN HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS AND OFTEN LEAVE MIGRANTS STRANDED AND MALNOURISHED, ACCORDING TO U-S BORDER AGENTS.

FOR MORE ON THE SITUATION AT THE U-S MEXICO BORDER– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN-DOT-COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– LAUREN TAYLOR.