Mexico Is Helping Migrants Get To The US Border

Written by Hudson Crozier

What’s happening: The Mexican government has begun selling bus tickets to America’s southern border. This comes after U.S. officials arrested over 200,000 border crossers last month alone, and Mexico had promised to discourage illegal migration weeks ago.

Why it matters: Mexico has gone from doing nothing to curb the flow of illegal migrants into the U.S. to openly aiding migrants for profit. This utter disregard for U.S. immigration law is not unique in the region. In Colombia, political leaders have made a lucrative business of sending thousands of migrants to the U.S.

• Hostile rhetoric: Mexican officials have accused Americans of racism for wanting efficient border enforcement for over a decade, again most recently last month.

The effects: Historically high rates of illegal migration have brought criminals and unvetted “gotaways” into the country. Mexican cartels are sending troves of fentanyl across the border, fueling an epidemic that is killing hundreds of thousands in the U.S.

Things could escalate: Influential policy groups, members of Congress, and 2024 presidential candidates on the right have called for military action to combat the cartels. As cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico sits at a historic low and countless lives are lost, many are tired of waiting for a diplomatic solution to the border crisis.