A new analysis shows that some of the Trump administration's policies and threats designed to thwart illegal immigration are actually having the opposite effect.
Politico examined the issue of illegal immigration, which President Donald Trump has vowed to fix since he was a presidential candidate in 2015. Roughly 100,000 migrants arrived at the United States' border with Mexico in March, and the problem only seems to be getting worse.
But Trump's threats to shut down the border and cut aid to Central American countries could actually be stoking the fire and forcing more people to flee poverty and threats of violence and head toward the U.S., Politico reported.
For example, cutting aid to countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala would result in even higher poverty rates, which would only make people more desperate to flee. Those three countries have extremely high homicide rates.
There's also a lack of food in some Central American countries, which would be exacerbated by cuts in foreign aid.
"There's just a sense of hopelessness in the region," Adriana Beltrán, a director at the Washington Office on Latin America, told Politico. "If you are a victim of violence, a victim of extortion, or if you are living in impoverished conditions and you feel your government isn't addressing your needs … you look for protection, for safety, or for better conditions elsewhere."
The rise in migrant caravans traveling from Central America and through Mexico en route to the U.S. has made it more feasible for some people to journey to the U.S. because the caravans don't cost any money and they are relatively safe. Smugglers can charge thousands of dollars per person, and much has been written about the violence — particularly sexual violence — people have endured while traveling with smugglers.
"Why would anyone ever pay $6,000 for a smuggler again if you can get into a caravan for free?" Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, told Politico.
The Trump administration has taken a hard stance on Central American countries for not preventing migrants from beginning their journeys to the U.S. Mexico has also become a target for allowing caravans enter its country and head north to the border.
Trump has threatened to close down the U.S.-Mexico border because of the illegal immigration issue, but so far that has not happened.