With the influx of more and more illegal immigrants from around the world entering the United States, the crisis at the US border has become a major issue in the November presidential election. Recently, a joint investigation by Reuters and Columbia University unveiled two new intercontinental immigrant smuggling routes.
According to Reuters’ report on Friday (June 21), the investigation report used aviation data and border data to conduct nearly 100 interviews with government officials, police, airline employees, smugglers, travel agencies, and immigrants from nine countries. It discovered two new routes for Indian and African immigrants to sneak into the United States via Central America.
One route starts from West Africa, where illegal immigrants pay up to $10,000 to take a commercial flight to Nicaragua, then travel overland to the United States.
The other route is for Indian illegal immigrants who fly on chartered flights to Central America, then proceed overland to the United States, with costs ranging from 6 to 8 million rupees ($72,000 to $96,000) per person, often paid in full upon arrival in the US. This information was provided by K.T. Kamariya, the Deputy Superintendent of Police responsible for investigating illegal immigration in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
These new smuggling routes through Central America bypass the visa requirements for immigrants flying directly to Mexico. These routes also avoid the dangerous trek through jungles between Colombia and Panama for immigrants arriving in some South American countries on their way north.
Five US officials interviewed by Reuters stated that these chartered flights represent a new stage in illegal immigrants’ journey to the US. They mentioned that an increasing number of migrants from outside Latin America are paying hefty fees to smuggling networks for travel packages, which may include flights to Central America, either on chartered planes or commercial airlines, followed by bus rides and hotel stays on their way to the US.
Some of these charter transport companies extort high fees, exploiting illegal immigrants and profiting from their plight.
Eric Jacobstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US State Department, told Reuters: “Some charter transport companies charge high fees, profit from vulnerable migrants, and facilitate the journey for illegal immigrants to the US.”
Jacobstein declined to disclose specific company names.
In the previous fiscal year, the number of immigrants apprehended at the US Southwest border reached over 2 million, becoming a significant weakness for President Biden in the November presidential election. Public opinion polls indicate that more and more Americans trust former Republican President Trump, known for his tough stance on illegal immigration.
On June 4, as Biden’s poll numbers lagged in key battleground states, he announced executive actions to deny asylum for illegal immigrants and swiftly deport them, or send them back to Mexico when illegal crossings exceed a certain threshold. However, the actual effectiveness of this policy for illegal immigrants from distant countries remains unclear, as their proportion among illegal immigrants is increasing.
According to data from the US Department of Homeland Security, about 9% of illegal border crossers at the US border in the fiscal year 2023 came from countries outside Latin America, totaling approximately 188,000 individuals. A decade ago, illegal immigrants from outside the Americas accounted for only 1%.
The Biden administration attributes the historic high levels of illegal immigrants to global economic and political instability, while Trump blames Biden’s border policies.
In addition to Latin American immigrants, Indian illegal immigrants constituted the largest single group arriving at the US-Mexico border last year, with around 42,000 individuals, followed by immigrants from 15 West African countries totaling 39,700 individuals, with the majority coming from Senegal and Mauritania.
The Biden administration has been working with governments of various countries and travel companies to curb the wave of immigration.
In March, the US State Department began revoking US visas for charter airline companies and other individuals supporting smuggling operations.
US government data shows a 48% decrease in border apprehensions from December to April, with US officials attributing some of the decline to increased enforcement efforts by Mexico.
Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa stated in an interview that the Salvadoran government has engaged in “long-term, continuous, and effective” cooperation with the US government in combating illegal immigration. He mentioned that in October last year, the US imposed visa requirements and a $1,000 transit fee on citizens from India and many African countries, resulting in a “significant reduction” in the number of immigrants transiting through El Salvador.
However, as some illegal immigrant routes faced restrictions, new smuggling routes emerged.
Blas Nuñez-Neto, Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security responsible for border and immigration policies, pointed out Nicaragua as a new point of entry for many immigrants. The country’s President, Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla member, has long been at odds with the US, following crackdowns on domestic protests and opposition after which he faced Washington’s condemnation for authoritarianism.
Nuñez-Neto stated in an interview, “Unfortunately, Nicaragua has weaponized these (immigrants). When you have a government in that region that basically opens the door and allows anyone from anywhere in the world with cash to get on a plane directly, it’s very difficult.”
Jacobstein mentioned that the US views Nicaragua as the “major hub” for non-continental migration.
According to data from the Central Bank of Nicaragua, around 879,000 passengers landed at Managua Airport last year, marking a 56% increase from the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
A senior official from the US Customs and Border Protection noted that over 10% of passengers on certain commercial flights headed to the region are individuals preparing to immigrate to the US.
Last year, Nicaragua collected revenues of 2 billion Cordobas ($52 million) from landing and transit visa fees, amounting to less than 2% of the government’s total revenue but more than five times the income of this kind in 2019.
In May, the Biden administration took action, imposing visa restrictions on 250 Nicaraguan officials and sanctioning government-affiliated companies for facilitating irregular migration policies. On the day the sanctions were announced, Vice President Rosario Murillo, in charge of government communications in Nicaragua, did not make a direct statement but instead condemned “traitors, cowards, and turncoats serving US imperialism” on local television.