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Gang violence is a very severe issue in both El Salvador and the United States. The gang violence has to do with issues like social, economic, and changes made during the Salvadoran Civil War. In 1980’s the MS-13 and the Barrio 18 were created in Los Angeles. These gangs were created in the streets of Los Angeles by the refugees children who were trying to escape the war that was happening in El Salvador. After the Civil War in El Salvador, many people left for a better life away from war and fled to the United States, seeking asylum and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This was all caused by the severe violence that Salvadorians were going through in their own country. TPS was given by the U.S. government in the 1990s allowing them to stay in The United States for a short period of time while the Salvadoran Civil War was happening.

The prisons in the U.S. were impacting the growth of these gangs. After deportations were made by the U.S. in the late 1990s the gangs were now in El Salvador. The gangs have affected El Salvador creating violence in the country. Today, El Salvador has to fix the current problems the Civil War has left and additionally the issue of organized crime.

Carmelas is a vey dangerous gang location in Los Angeles.

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Gang Violence:

El Salvador's gang violence has reached a very concerning place in terms of its country's safety. The MS-13 and Barrio 18 are involved in extortion, human trafficking, narco-activities, and violence. MS-13 and Barrio 18 are powerful gangs that have great control over citizens in El Salvador causing people to feel fear and displacement. The targets of the gangs are young men that are going through a hard time and don’t have as many possibilities available to them.

MS-13 Tattoo.

Migration and Displacement:

The main reason why there is so much immigration in El Salvador has to do with gang violence. In 2022 about 69% of the Salvadoran migrants were found in the Rio Grande Valley, in Texas, crossing the border to be in a safer country. Even if it meant being more exposed to violence, human traffickers, and organized crime. Salvadorians at times are able to get to the United States following the American Dream, in the hopes of a better life with more opportunities but run the risk of later being deported or detained. Or at times can have the chance to obtain asylum chances.

The Mexican and United States border.

Government Policies and International Responses:

The Salvadoran government responded with the “Mano Dura” or Iron Fist policy. This has to do with aggressive mass arrests and the suspension of some constitutional rights. Despite these policies' purpose of decreasing the violence happening in El Salvador, they create judgment internationally because they violate the basic human rights of their citizens. The researcher Juan Pappier, saw that a usual approach in Latin America was to talk about the significant security challenges by restricting or suspending the citizens’ rights. This creates worries as the acts do not address the root issues like systemic inequalities or US deportation policy.

Asylum opportunities in other countries:

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that gives migrants from unsafe countries the opportunity to reside and work in the United States temporarily. The TPS was created in the 1990s and allowed for Salvadorians to be able to stay in the U.S. for a little bit of time, while their country was going through a Civil War and recovered from it. Even though the people who had TPS were protected from being deported, this changed in 2018 when Trump became president changing the U.S. policies. In over 200 cases, there has been a connection that was identified between the violence or harm experienced by deportees upon their return to El Salvador and the main reasons why they left the country.

Impact on Migration:

Deportation is a cycle of violence. The children of migrants who fled to the U.S. from the civil war become gang members. They are then deported back to their home country. Creating a cycle of migration and violence.

References

1. Kinosian, Sarah. “Seven Facts about MS-13 and How to Combat the Gang.” WOLA, 3 July 2017, www.wola.org/analysis/ms-13-not-immigration-problem/.
2. Adams, Jennifer J., and Jesenia M. Pizarro. “NCJRS Virtual Library.” MS-13: A Gang Profile | Office of Justice Programs, 2009, www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/ms-13-gang-profile.
3. “Temporary Protected Status: An Overview.” American Immigration Council, 12 July 2024, www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/temporary-protected-status-overview#:~:text=Congress%20created%20Temporary%20Protected%20Status,or%20extraordinary%20and%20temporary%20conditions.
4. John, Tara. “El Salvador Has Arrested 2% of Its Adult Population in Its War on Gangs. Other Countries Are Taking Note.” CNN, Cable News Network, 15 Dec. 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/americas/el-salvador-war-on-gangs-bukele-intl-latam/index.html.
5. Albaladejo, Angelika. “No Life Here: Internal Displacement in El Salvador.” Latin America Working Group, 13 Nov. 2018, www.lawg.org/no-life-here-internal-displacement-in-el-salvador/.
6. Rubio, J., & Casique, A. (2024a, October 29). The burgeoning regional appeal of Mano Dura crime-fighting strategies. CSIS. https://www.csis.org/analysis/burgeoning-regional-appeal-mano-dura-crime-fighting-strategies
7. Roy , Diana, and Claire Klobucista. “What Is Temporary Protected Status?” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 21 Sept. 2023, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-temporary-protected-status#:~:text=Established%20by%20the%20U.S.%20Congress,but%20extendable%2C%20period%20of%20time.
8. “Deported to Danger.” Human Rights Watch, 5 Feb. 2020, www.hrw.org/report/2020/02/05/deported-danger/united-states-deportation-policies-expose-salvadorans-death-and.
9. Isacson, Adam. 2022. “Migration, Country by Country, at the U.S.-Mexico Border.” WOLA. November 23, 2022. https://www.wola.org/2022/11/migration-country-by-country-at-the-u-s-mexico-border/.
10. Kopan, Tal. 2018. “Trump Admin Ends Protections for More than 200,000 Salvadorans | CNN Politics.” CNN. Cable News Network. January 9, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/politics/temporary-protected-status-el-salvador/index.html.