The Atlantic

An Unintended Side Effect of Trump's Border Wall

Since the Great Recession, more Mexicans have left the United States than migrated there. Constructing a barrier along the southern border may discourage more from going.
Source: Jose Luis Gonzalez / Reuters

In their popular song “Jaula de Oro,” which translates to “Cage of Gold,” the famous Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte tells the story of a migrant who finds himself unable to move across the U.S.-Mexico border. His lack of mobility does not keep him in Mexico, as one would expect, but in the United States. As the migrant explains:

Ten years have passed since I crossed … I’m still an illegal … My wife and my children … have already forgotten about my beloved Mexico, the one that I never forget and I cannot return to

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