Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Latin American Studies Program

Advisor(s)

Ben W. Fallaw

Second Advisor

Lindsay Mayka

Abstract

Human smuggling at the southwest border has undergone a series of dramatic changes following the advent of militarized enforcement after 9/11. These changes have culminated in drug cartels becoming involved in the market for human smuggling as service providers. This role constitutes a massive departure from the traditional working dynamics of the market, and has created a human rights crisis with far-reaching implications. Accordingly, this thesis attempts to answer the following questions: Why are Mexican drug cartels entering into human smuggling? What part has U.S immigration policy had in incentivizing their involvement? When did their involvement begin? To answer these questions, I provide an in-depth analysis of human smuggling based on research that I compiled in the city of El Paso, TX during the month of January. I then use that analysis to construct a causal model that links militarization to cartel involvement in human smuggling. I argue that by increasing both the cost as well as the demand for coyotes at the Mexican border, the United States has inadvertently created a lucrative niche for cartels within the market for human smuggling.

Keywords

Immigration, Public Policy, Human Smuggling, Drug Cartels

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