There has been a surge of undocumented immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border in Texas. Many of them use makeshift modes of Travel and shell out large sums of money to reach the United States. Some of them do not make it to the finish line. The US Customs and Border Protection has intercepted 492 of such cases along the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo sectors. The migrants are desperate and put their lives and money at risk to gain entry to America at any cost. Rodney Scott, Chief of the United States Border Patrol, explains that the condition in which these people undertake the journeys is not only dangerous but life-threatening as well.

Daily Mail UK says that in view of the ongoing threat of Coronavirus, the United States and Mexico have limited land border travel. In spite of that, human smugglers try to exploit the plight of desperate migrants.

Human traffickers exploit migrants

Migrants look toward America as a land of opportunity and fall prey to unscrupulous human traffickers. They charge large sums of money with the promise to ensure that they gain entry into the US, but such activities are illegal.

The Trump administration advises migrants to gain legal entry through the southern border. In spite of that, there have been several instances where human traffickers make use of vehicles like tractor-trailers to transport the migrants. Border Patrol agents intercepted them and discovered that the migrants were not only from Mexico but included persons from Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

There were a couple of minors as well. The drivers of these vehicles were Americans.

Daily Mail UK makes mention of a tragic incident of 2017. There were more than 100 migrants inside at trailer in San Antonio. Once the authorities intervened, they discovered that at least 10 of them had died. Another 39 were in a dehydrated condition and required medical attention.

The driver was convicted. CBP keeps cautioning undocumented migrants of the dangers associated with such modes of transport even after they shell out large sums of money to human traffickers. Rodney Scott sums it up when he says - "This smuggling tactic is putting lives at risk - the lives of the migrants, our agents, and the American public - all for the sake of profit.”

Incidents of migrants trying to enter America on the rise

According to Fox 5 NY, the Border Patrol agency reveals an increase in incidents of migrants trying to enter the country using unconventional transport. They are victims of human smugglers who use tractor-trailers. There are reports of incidents of this nature from Texas and California and these happened in January, February, and March this year.

Obviously, some migrants are willing to pay money and endure the torture of transportation under inhuman conditions. The traffickers sell dreams that don't always turn into reality.

The problem of migrants is global

America faced the issue of migrants for a long time. Some people feel there is not much difference between migrants and refugees. Both groups consist of people who are trying to move to a new country that offers them a better life in comparison to what they are accustomed to. In this context, the US-Mexico border wall got pushed by POTUS. Donald Trump wants the wall to block the entry of migrants into America. Incidentally, human smugglers are active in other countries also. Last year, a lorry turned up in Essex. Inside the vehicle, were dead bodies of migrants and some of them could be from Vietnam.
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