Social media apps like TikTok have become essential tools for migrant smugglers and migrants seeking entry into the United States. Videos posted by smugglers offer promises of safe passage for those without visas. Despite a crackdown at the border and decreased migration levels to the U.S., smugglers say new technologies allow them to be more agile and reach new customers.
One smuggler, Soary, began working in smuggling at 19 and now uses TikTok to connect migrants with smugglers. Videos of migrants are often posted to social media platforms to show loved ones that they have safely reached their destination.
The use of social media to facilitate migration began around 2017 and 2018, with smugglers infiltrating large WhatsApp groups and later expanding to platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Migrants also began to document their journeys north, posting videos of treks through jungles and interactions with cartels.
TikTok has strict policies against human smuggling and reports such content to law enforcement. However, videos on the platform show cash, border crossings, and methods of sneaking into the U.S. Narratives in the videos shift based on U.S. immigration policies, with posts during the Biden administration focusing on asylum applications and those during the Trump administration dispelling fear of capture.
Concerns have been raised about scammers using the videos to lure migrants into traps, and authorities are investigating networks advertising crossings through tunnels under the border fence. Despite these risks, smugglers continue to use social media to connect with migrants seeking entry into the U.S.
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