The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States has tripled from 3.5 million people in 1990 to more than 11 million in 2010. Stepped-up patrols along the border with Mexico—the source of 60 percent of unauthorized immigrants—has had little impact.
Why?
Border enforcement does not get to the root of why people leave their home countries: to escape poverty. In 2009, 96 percent of U.S. foreign assistance to Mexico was spent on military and drug enforcement. Investing in rural areas instead can help reduce the pressure to migrate.
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Photography and Videography: Maisie Crow and Laura Elizabeth Pohl
Multimedia Production and Editing: Brad Horn
Interviews and Translation: Dulce Gamboa
Planning and Logistics: Andrew Wainer
Music: I Am Not Lefthanded, Oleg Serkov, Bosques de mi Mente, Joe Travieso, Alex Alexandroff, Sambodhi Prem