The truth about Honduran unaccompanied minors crossing into the US
The news has been putting a lot of emphasis on the humanitarian crisis that has begun to unfold in the United States as a result of the huge increase of unaccompanied minors crossing the borders. The fact is that there are over 40,000 minors that have crossed the borders unaccompanied during this year. Although “experts” and other authorities are coming up with a series of explanations regarding the situation and what is behind it, few have the knowledge and experience, as well as the will to find the truth. The fact is that there are many, many kids travelling without their parents into the USA. It is a dangerous trip, full of perils if they do this on their own, and many do, however most kids are handed over to a “Coyote” a person that dedicates himself to help smuggle illegal aliens into the USA.
As a general rule, the Coyote is someone that is well known and trusted in the community, that has already helped other friends or family get into the US illegally, without having had to deal with the perils of crossing through Mexico or across the US border. The Coyote is hired for somewhere between seven and ten thousand dollars and his commitment is to get the person across the border, into the USA and dropped off at big city that is beyond the border patrol area of influence. Cities such as San Antonio, Houston, Phoenix or LA are the preferred drop off points.
Many Hondurans and Central Americans have left their countries with the intention of pursuing the “American Dream” and although many don’t make it, many others do, and have established themselves in the US as law abiding citizens who are working and paying taxes. Most of these successful, though illegal immigrants left their families behind and are looking to ways of reuniting their families, and had only dreamed of getting their children to the US because of the dangers usually involved.
Sometime last year, the rumor spread that unaccompanied minors that were apprehended in the US by the Border Patrol would be processed and allowed to unite with their family members in the USA, and this is what has created the huge influx of kids into the USA.
There is no doubt that these immigrants are pursuing the American Dream, that they are leaving their country due to lack of opportunities, and that there are some areas in their home country that have been prone and subject to the control of gangs and are terribly unsafe, however to say that these kids have fled the country on their own to escape violence is grossly inaccurate. It is also inaccurate to say that these kids are being sold to Coyotes and gang members to be smuggled in the USA!
The truth is that family members that have been separated due to illegal immigration want to be reunited, and the truth is that it has become a huge and lucrative business to help get the minors up to the US border and have them turn themselves into the border patrol. For the Coyotes, getting the minors to the US border is the easy part, getting them into the US territory, beyond the border is much harder, so the option of having them turn themselves into the border patrol is simple, safe and uncomplicated. The expectation is that because of the humanitarian crisis, they will be allowed to stay in the US and that their illegal family members will not be sent back… Can
