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4 Nw. Univ. J. Int'l Hum. Rts. 303 (2005-2006)
Assessing the U.S.-Mexico Fight against Human Trafficking and Smuggling: Unintended Results of U.S. Immigration Policy

handle is hein.journals/jihr4 and id is 309 raw text is: Copyright 2005 by Northwestern University School of Law Volume 4, Issue 2 (Fall 2005) Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights Assessing the U.S.-Mexico Fight against Human Trafficking and Smuggling: Unintended Results of U.S. Immigration Policy Salvador A. Cicero-Dominguez I. INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, the issue of human trafficking has become a global phenomenon of unforeseeable proportions. Every year, millions of people throughout the world migrate from their IDmelands into countries offering more attractive prospects for employment. Some seek family reunification and others search for a better life in countries with higher economic growth, hoping for better opportunities for their children. Migratory workers and their families, many of whom are undocumented, are systematic targets of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. They are often exploited, many times as victims of trafficking. In the American hemisphere, these vulnerable groups, many of whom are comprised of women and children, are easy targets for organized crime running smuggling and trafficking rings across the United States-Mexico border. Since the adoption of more stringent immigration rules in the United States which focus on criminal deportation, the Mexico-United States border region has become the stage of increased criminal activity of this sort. As a result of the unilateral deportation policies and the lack of preparation on the part of the receiving nations, Mexico and the Central American countries have experienced an unexpected influx of U.S.-trained criminals who, lacking programs to help them cope with their new environments, have continued their criminal activities, often engaging in human trafficking. Although there has been increased activism on the part of the Mexican authorities to address the issues of trafficking and smuggling, the Mexican legal framework remains largely untouched and hence limited in its crime- fighting scope and effectiveness. Despite the recent adoption of international protocols to fight human trafficking and increased law enforcement cooperation between the United States and Mexico, the perennial lack of economic growth in the Latin American region, coupled with historical migration patterns, have boosted an already booming industry for the illegal smuggling and trafficking of people. . Salvador A. Cicero-Dominguez is a graduate of the Matias Romero Institute for Diplomatic Studies in Mexico City and holds a Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He currently serves as Director of the American Bar Association/ American Bar Foundation's Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador. Special thanks to Marcela Mora, Cesar Prieto, Laura Langberg and Maria Esther Coronado for their help in this article, as well as Mayra Cicero for her love and support. The author is solely responsible for the opinions expressed herein.

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