President Donald Trump's return to the White House has brought immediate and dramatic changes to U.S. immigration policy. Within days, his administration enacted measures that have effectively closed off legal pathways for migrants seeking asylum, leaving many stranded in Mexico border cities, including shutting down CBP One, the app used to legally request asylum at ports of entry. Amid the policy changes, misinformation and desperation pose to be favorable factors for human smuggling groups wanting to cash in on the "border crisis."
In this context, experts interviewed by The Latin Times anticipated that the scenario has the potential to empower human smugglers, increase dangerous crossings, and exacerbate instability at the U.S.-Mexico border as legal asylum options disappear.
