U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched a digital advertising campaign Wednesday to discourage migrants from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) from undertaking the dangerous journey to the U.S. border.
The ads aim to convey a clear message: smugglers are lying; illegally entering the United States is a crime. They also emphasize that smugglers, known as "coyotes," exploit and profit from vulnerable migrants.
“Smugglers use lies to lure vulnerable people into embarking on a dangerous journey that often ends with their deportation or death,” said CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus. “This public awareness campaign is an important component of the U.S. government’s efforts to prevent tragedies and reduce irregular migration.”.
The message warns that those who attempt to cross the U.S. border without authorization will be immediately expelled from the country or subjected to immigration deportation proceedings. Furthermore, they will receive information about the thousands of migrants who end up imprisoned, kidnapped, extorted, or even left to die by unscrupulous transnational criminal organizations.
In fiscal year 2021, the northern Central American countries accounted for 44% of migrant encounters along the southwest border.
Finally, this campaign has emerged from the joint work of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working closely with the State Department to track trends, share research, and coordinate messaging to counter the tactics used by smugglers to victimize vulnerable migrants.
These messages are an effort to counter the many lies spread by human traffickers and warn migrants about the dangers of being scammed and dying at the hands of these criminal organizations.
News report based on information from: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)