That’s more than seven times the number of illegal border-crossers from Ecuador encountered by U.S. border officials by this time in 2020.
“William Murillo, co-founder of the Ecuadorian legal service 1800Migrante.com,” said there are multiple factors driving this new surge, but he points to one element in particular.
Murillo said Ecuadorian migration has endured peaks and lulls over the past 20 years, with 2008 and 2021 being notable apexes, and that economic fallout during the pandemic left the nation’s already struggling economy shattered.
When it comes to the primary components behind the latest surge, Murillo said, “It’s mainly poverty, corruption, and lack of opportunities in Ecuador.”
Meanwhile, Mexico and Guatemala have changed their visa requirements for Ecuadorian migrants.
“First it was not safe to go outside, and now there are no jobs left,” Acosta told The Epoch Times.
Acosta hasn’t worked for the past four years due to medical problems, but his wife runs a small store in Guayaquil while caring for their three children who still live at home.
“My [eldest] son Carlos left because there is no work. He’s working in Mexico now and saving [money] to go to the U.S.,” he said.
Asked what his son plans to do in the United States, Acosta replied: “Work, study, and send us money here” in Ecuador.
From an immigration attorney’s perspective, Murillo said that having someone established in the United States to help you once you cross the border is paramount.
“Several generations of Ecuadorians have emigrated since the 1970s, so most migrants have a relative, friend, or neighbor who receives them and helps them find work,” he said.
“Support is vital when deciding to travel to the USA.”
Despite the risks, which include deportation by U.S. border security, navigating drug and human traffickers, and dangerous elemental obstacles, Acosta remains optimistic about his son’s chances of crossing the border illegally.
“He’s a good swimmer, and he worked on his uncle’s farm [growing up]. Carlos is a strong boy, he'll be able to cross [to the U.S.] when he’s ready,” Acosta said.
Murillo said that, sadly, this pattern wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.
“So long as Ecuador doesn’t solve structural problems deep in the country, we will have migration to the U.S. and other countries,” he said.