Despite Dangers, Intimidation, Guatemalans Still Seek A Better Life In U.S.

Despite the Trump administration's immigration clampdown, newly released data show the number of Central American families and unaccompanied children crossing the Southwest border illegally has risen sharply. The government blames loopholes in U.S. immigration laws for acting as a magnet for immigrants. But there's another explanation. The push factors in impoverished regions in Central America are as powerful as ever. Huehuetenango is a province in western Guatemala that borders Mexico. It has spectacular mountain ranges, a large indigenous Maya population that lives in extreme poverty, and the distinction of sending more immigrants to the United States than any other place in Guatemala.