Tougher immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border over the past 50 years has made human smuggling more profitable and resulted in an ever-increasing number of desperate people employing smugglers to reach America. To end human smuggling, U.S. laws and policies must provide significantly greater avenues for individuals to live and work legally in the U.S. and to gain access to human rights protections—including, to the extent possible, before they reach the U.S. border.
The vast majority of activity on the Southern border involves human smuggling—someone paying to be taken across the country's border. This is different than human trafficking, which is far less common.
