Phoenix, United States.
Without modesty and openly offering illegal crossings to the United States, the ‘coyotesThey use social networks to promote and sell their services as a “hook” to the idea that with President Joe Biden’s rise to power, they will be able to make the “American dream” a reality.
Pages created with names like “Safe Crossover for U.S illegal “,” I help with the crossing “,” Cheap cross to MEcan be seen across platforms as a tremendous way to connect with “customers” who want to emigrate.
“How about racing, how are you? If you want to cross to the United States, take advantage of the fact that it is now easier without Trump. You still have the American dream, send me an inbox and he gave you information, ”reads one of the advertisements, which also shows photos of migrants crossing the desert.
Also read: Biden guarantees a coronavirus vaccine for undocumented migrants in the US
As before these “services” were kept in it confidentiality and they made themselves known through word of mouth, now social networks have changed everything.
The messages are designed so that the people offering the service of “people passing by” across the border must be contacted privately by mail or online groups, and the prices vary according to the destination of those interested.
‘I just jump to Calexico $ 3,500. Even Los Angeles $ 6,500. Payment is made until you reach your destination. Benefit from it. Likewise, there are other ways to cross, such as by car through the entrance. Walk with papers. And walk up the hill for 3 hours. Cross Mexicali and Nogales and walk for 10 minutes for only $ 7,000, ”says another report.
Analyst Javier Osorio clarified to Efe that the use of the technology “It’s not new” for traffickers, just that they previously did it through more private channels like the dark route on the Internet, which are more difficult to access for the general public.
“But now they are doing it in a more blatant way, we are seeing more open channels like Twitter and Facebook. Migrant caravans communicate through these channels and then switch to private channels of WhatsApp. These channels are widely used in Central America and coyotes see these virtual spaces for potential customers, ”said the founder of the North Central America Academy of Security Analysis.
Osorio indicated that the authorities of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) they have tracked these networks used by traffickers and “the border patrol buys cellphone data from private companies to record the geographic position of the polleros.”
Her own attached to Efe Customs and Border Protection Office, who noted that she “is constantly reflecting all the major new trends Criminal organizations and transnational corporations, for example, can use social networks to attract more companies to their illegal activities along the border, and will adapt their enforcement policies accordingly. “
Recent CBP reports show that the migratory stream At the southwest border, it has gradually increased and last December saw the highest number of border arrests recorded in that month since 2001, with 73,513 encounters with undocumented migrants, far more than the 40,565 in the same month of 2019.
Biden He pledged from his campaign to get rid of the “damage” caused by the border policies of former President Donald Trump’s administration and has demonstrated this from the day he entered the White House as president when he announced a package of immigration measures. including halting construction of the border wall with Mexico.
And many conservatives and CBP agents are already warning that these more lax policies will translate into a new wave of immigrants and a possible new humanitarian crisis at the border in the coming months.
The expert the School of Government Y University of Arizona (UA) Public Policy believes that the Biden phenomenon adds a pull factor to migration, “as relaxing migration through political discourse” makes the so-called “American dream” more enticing.
“But don’t forget that Latin American Economies and Central American women are being devastated by the Covid, coupled with poverty and violence, people have many reasons to emigrate, ”he said.