Thousands of Guatemalans have left their hometowns for El Norte and crossed into the United States over the past three decades, but that’s starting to change.
Some Guatemalans say the number of people heading across the border has slowed in the past few years for two reasons: The recession’s unrelenting grip on the United States and the threat of Mexican gangs.
Tennessee lost more than 160,000 jobs from March 2007 through March 2011. Georgia lost twice as many. Many lost jobs were in sectors that rely heavily on immigrant workers, such as the construction industry and the carpet factories.
And even if jobs were available in America, crossing the border illegally is simply more dangerous now than five years ago. Guatemalans must pass through Mexico to reach the U.S., and life is cheap to the drug cartels of Mexico.
“You are basically between life and death because of the Zetas,” said José Morales, referring to one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels.