Rare interviews with the children of America’s immigration crisis

"Young Central American and Mexican migrants have been coming to the United States for decades in search of family, work and refuge. They do this knowing the journey north is perilous and that they could die en route: An analysis last year by the human rights group the Washington Office on Latin America found that there were at least 463 migrant deaths at the U.S. border in fiscal year 2012. And that’s only counting those who make it that far. During the journey, migrants often witness or experience violence from ruthless smugglers, corrupt border guards and criminal gangs, not to mention hunger, illness and exposure to the elements. NGOs in the United States, Central America and Mexico have reported that many young migrants are kidnapped by cartels that extort money from their families or traffic them for sex and labor. Of the 40 young people I interviewed, nine—seven boys and two girls—told me they were captured by the Zetas cartel in Mexico on their way to the United States. Rape is so common that many migrant girls get birth-control injections before they leave home."]

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Rare interviews with the children of America’s immigration crisis - POLITICO Magazine