Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Dangerous Journey to the U.S. and a “New Deal” for Migrant Women and Girls

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 2022

Abstract

The US-Mexico border has always experienced significant migration flows. Migration to the US from Mexico increased significantly in 1900 due to political unrest in Mexico and the rise of agribusiness in the Southwest, an increase that resulted in the creation of the US Border Patrol in 1924. Initially, most migrants who crossed the border were single, adult males, primarily from Mexico. However, since the early 2010s, most migrants apprehended at the border have been families and unaccompanied minors, mainly from Central America, but also from other parts of the world. Many of these immigrants arrive seeking asylum at official ports of entry, as well as between ports of entry. Since 2010, approximately 463,773 minors have crossed the US-Mexico border without their parents, with a notable increase from the Northern Triangle states of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, three of the most violent countries in the world. The number of women and girls crossing the US-Mexico border has also increased. In 2011, 42,590 women and girls were apprehended by the US Border Patrol. That number rose to 119,415 in 2014, under the Obama administration, and surged further to 298,489 in 2019, under the Trump administration. The last several decades have seen a feminization of migration, with women making the conscious decision to migrate for better opportunities. Latin American states have been leading in having the highest proportion of women among international migrants.

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Copyright © 2022 by the Brown Journal of World Affairs

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