The second-largest source of revenue for Mexican drug cartels is human trafficking across the US border. However, laws aimed at discouraging illegal immigration pose a challenge to this income stream. So influential are these cartels that even Mexico’s president has spoken out against Texas laws targeting illegal immigration.
Recently, a tense standoff unfolded between Texas Army National Guard troops and a group of migrants attempting to breach a border wall in El Paso. Texas Governor Abbott has branded the immigration crisis as an “invasion.”
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In a bid to curb the influx of illegal immigrants, Abbott faced backlash for allegedly passing a law criminalizing illegal entry from Mexico into the US. Ironically, entering the US illegally is already against the law.
To clarify, Abbott hasn’t made illegal entry a new crime; rather, he has directed law enforcement to uphold existing laws, apprehend violators, and ensure legality by deporting them. Under federal authority, Title 8 mandates deportation and imposes a five-year ban on future immigration for illegal entry into the US.
Social media channels in Mexico offer guidance on how to illegally enter the US, often advocating entry at unauthorized points. However, criminal organizations, often linked to drug cartels, are selling illegal access to the US, exploiting vulnerable migrants.
These criminals, allied with drug cartels, extort money from migrants, promising safe passage while leading them to illegal entry points. The profits from this illicit human trafficking are then funneled into acquiring more weapons, influencing politicians, and corrupting the judiciary, thereby deepening Mexico’s instability.
Title 8 stipulates actions to deter illegal crossings, including the installation of physical barriers along the US border. Yet, this has become a contentious issue between Governor Abbott and the federal government. Many conservatives question why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) isn’t doing more to curb illegal immigration.
Governor Abbott’s efforts to enforce immigration laws have faced resistance at both state and federal levels. Twenty-five GOP state governors have rallied behind Abbott, expressing solidarity and defending Texas’ border.
Despite being hindered from preventing illegal immigration, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star Bus to transport immigrants to sanctuary cities. However, these cities, including Chicago, began imposing restrictions on the number of immigrants they would accept.
