Abstract

ORRACA ROMANO, Pedro Paulo  and  CORONA VILLAVICENCIO, Francisco de Jesús. Risk of Death and Aggressions Encountered while Illegally Crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border. Migr. Inter [online]. 2014, vol.7, n.3, pp.09-41. ISSN 2594-0279.

This article analyzes the type of migrant who is most likely to be exposed to the risk of death or be a victim of aggression by U.S. authorities while illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and the impact this has on the future migration intentions of repatriated or deported individuals. On the basis of a logistic regression analysis, the study shows that those most vulnerable to risk or aggressions are first-time migrants who hire the services of human smugglers. Furthermore, migrants who were previously exposed to the risk of death or whose belongings were confiscated and never returned are less likely to engage in subsequent migration attempts. Finally, being a victim of physical or verbal abuse at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol agents is unrelated to future migration intentions.

Keywords : illegal migration; migrant deaths; aggression; Mexico; United States.