Jose was standing outside the convenience store he owned when suddenly the familiar thunder of bullets rang out. His family inside ran for cover, but Jose was shot in the back, just below his right shoulder.
It was just the latest instance of cartel violence in their hometown in southwestern Mexico, where cartel killings happen daily.
But this time, it was targeting Jose and his family. Gangs believed he cooperated with police in a murder investigation and wanted him dead. Now, they only had one choice: flee with their few belongings and little money to find safety in the United States.
“We don’t have anything anymore, nothing. Now we don’t go back for anything. Because if we go back, there is a risk that they will hit my son, my daughter, my wife, me or my grandchildren,” Jose said in Spanish.
inewsource is not giving Jose’s real name because he fears being found by the criminal gangs threatening him and his family.
Experts say Jose and his family aren’t alone. They are among a growing number of Mexican families displaced by violence in communities across Mexico and headed toward the U.S. with hopes of protection and safety.
In fact, the number of Mexican family members who crossed the border into San Diego County more than tripled in the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September. The vast majority of those families — upwards of 90% — crossed into the U.S. legally through ports of entry.
Yet there are many more families still waiting across the border for the opportunity to seek protection in the U.S. An official with Tijuana’s migrant affairs office estimates there are 14,000 migrants living across the city.
Read the full article on inewsource.org.
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