Nearly half of Latin American migrants at US border experienced gun violence or threats back home

Published On:
November 18, 2024

University of Michigan study also explores role of U.S.-manufactured, traded firearms

November 18, 2024
Written By:
Kate Barnes, Office of the Vice President for Research



Almost half of the migrants crossing into the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean report previously experiencing firearm-related threats or violence in their home country, according to a University of Michigan study.

The research examined the narrative that U.S.-manufactured firearms fuel violence in other countries and in turn contribute to migration. Prior studies have shown that U.S. firearm markets are associated with gun-related violence in Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Mexico and other countries, and that fleeing violence is a main reason people journey to the U.S..

To better understand the complex relationship, researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus designed firearm-related questions for a survey given to new arrivals from Latin America and the Caribbean between March 2022 and August 2023. The participants were recruited for the survey while being processed and housed at a respite center at the southern border of the U.S.

After analyzing the responses of 321 participants, the survey found that 48% reported previously experiencing gun-related threats and violence, and 34% showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Of those that reported high levels of PTSD symptoms, roughly 27% had a higher prevalence of receiving firearm threats than those with low or no symptoms, according to the study published in Injury Prevention.

“In the U.S., 21% of people report such experiences, less than half of those migrating from Latin America and the Caribbean. As we work to improve our systems, it is critical that we understand and acknowledge the background of people seeking help in the U.S.,” said Eugenio Weigend Vargas, lead author of the study and postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention.

More:
https://news.umich.edu/nearly-half-of-latin-american-migrants-at-us-border-experienced-gun-violence-or-threats-back-home/