Central American migrants reportedly facing increased dangers

As the immigration debate in the United States this week focuses on Special Order 40 and the LAPD’s powers of deportation, a tragic accident on Monday and new statistics on migration highlighted the increasing dangers so many Central Americans traveling north experience.

On Monday, a truck carrying Central American migrants in a hidden compartment plunged into a reservoir in southern Mexico near Guatemala, killing at least eight people. Six men and two women drowned when the truck crashed into the dammed-up waters. They were trapped because they were hidden under a floorboard beneath a load of kitchen goods. The International Herald Tribune carried the story.

In the same week, new statistics from U.S Border Patrol and Mexico’s National Immigration Institute show that many Central Americans who travel up through Mexico to reach the United States never even make it to the U.S. border.

A crackdown on Central American migrants in Mexico and damage to train tracks during Hurricane Stan is stopping them from reaching their ultimate destination.

According to a report earlier this week by the Associated Press, the number of non-Mexican migrants stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol dropped almost 60% from 2005, despite increased detention efforts. Only about 68,000 non-Mexican migrants — mostly Central Americans — were detained last year, compared with 165,000 in 2005.

Despite efforts to secure its own southern border, Mexico doesn’t try to stop its own citizens from crossing north, writes Olga R. Rodriguez.

The Mexican crackdown on Central Americans has sent people from Guatemala, Honduras and other countries searching for new, and dangerous, routes.

Photo: Central American migrants ride atop freight trains through Chiapas in southern Mexico. Credit: Don Bartletti for the Los Angeles Times series "Enrique's Journey." The photos were also reprinted in a book of the same name by journalist Sonia Nazario.

-- Deborah Bonello

Comments

[ER]

Deborah Bonello,
First off, I would like to thank you for your informative and timely post. It is wonderful to read a blog that stresses the importance of issues concerning the Hispanic and Latin American communities. The fact that you decided to begin your piece with a mention of Special Order 40, really ties in this story with something that is significant to many Californians. Based on other posts that I have read on La Plaza, I have realized that many Los Angeles residents reserve strong sentiments regarding the issue of immigration. Relating this story about Central American immigrants to the buzz surrounding the LAPD, in my opinion, strengthens the appeal of your work. I appreciated the poignant observations you make about the tragic deaths that are taking place due to harsh conditions Central American migrants face in Mexico. Although your post served as an informative commentary, it could have been even more interesting to read your perspective on the case at hand. The sheer irony that undocumented Mexicans expect better treatment than the illegal travelers who pass through their own country is enough to spark a colorful debate. Also, since Special Order 40 deals directly with the possibility of deportation from the United States, do you believe is it likely to cause a chain reaction in minimizing relocation to other countries? You make reference to Olga R. Rodriguez who wrote, “Despite efforts to secure its own southern border, Mexico doesn’t try to stop its own citizens from crossing north”. I was able to locate and read her expose on newsvine.com. The parallels Rodriguez draws between the situations that Mexican and American citizens are facing, in terms of undocumented refugees, shines a light on the hypocrisy of the Mexican government. On one hand, the horror stories that accompany these travelers, which are enough to inspire nightmares, have not seemed to deter the amount of people that risk their lives in hopes of a better one. On the other hand, according to your piece, it seems that these stricter laws in Mexico are causing a decrease in migration to the country. Is this indicative of what the American government will have to resort to in order to see a significant change? These are just a few questions you may consider addressing in future posts.

-ER-

http://the-er.blogspot.com/

[Lois]

The most significant statement in this article was despite efforts to secure its southern border, Mexico does nothing to stop its own citizens from crossing north. The national Geographic detailed the abuse suffered by illegal aliens in Mexico. Mexicans play on our humanitarian heart strings while nationwide brutality towards illegal aliens in Mexico becomes the norm and is not punished. Why do Mexicans expect more from us than they give others. What is wrong with this picture?