Undocumented crossings at the U.S. southern border have long been dominated by people from Mexico and Central America — but for the first time since at least the turn of the century, migrants from other nations made up the majority of those stopped by authorities.
Most of these other migrants are from farther flung countries within Latin America, like Venezuela and Colombia, a sign of how post-pandemic economic pain is being felt throughout just about every corner of that region.
A stark example of this broader Latin American migration is that both Brazilian and Venezuelan encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border shot up 43% and 92%, respectively, since June. Their numbers had dropped significantly earlier this year after Mexico issued visa requirements for travelers from both countries, only to rebound as they found ways around those restrictions.
