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Good article by Mr. Stoll.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Opinion
The Economics Behind the Border Pile-Up
For many, migration to the U.S. is a dream that can destroy families and leave people even more vulnerable.
David Stoll
July 14, 2014 7:23 p.m. ET

A peasant leader in Guatemala asked last year if I could help him get several men deported from the United States. Why? They were no longer sending money to their children, and their wives hoped they could be deported back to their responsibilities. When my friend took this petition to the Guatemalan foreign ministry, he was informed that its mission is to support migrants to the U.S., not extradite them.

The episode comes to mind as tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors, mothers and small children pile up on America’s border with Mexico. As Americans debate the influx, most of us assume that a better life awaits those who are able to stay. My research in a Guatemalan town suggests that the dream of migration produces many tragedies.

The Obama administration reports a 92% surge in the detention of unaccompanied minors in the last fiscal year. Children traveling with their mothers are also overwhelming the U.S. Border Patrol. Most are Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans. Some say they are escaping gang violence—although getting through Mexico is usually more perilous for Central Americans than what they face back home. If they hail from rural areas, they are likely to have more problems with gangs in U.S. cities than where they come from.

Read at: http://online.wsj.com/articles/david-stoll-the-economics-behind-the-border-pile-up-1405380196