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The financial burden of migration is immense, with many migrants spending up to $20,000 or more—nearly all their savings—on the journey. The narrative emphasizes that they are treated more like commodities than human beings, often subjected to human trafficking and exploitation by criminal networks that extort, beat, or threaten them.
For some, the desire to reach the U.S. is tempered by the realization of the risks and the loss of dignity. Several migrants express feelings of guilt for abandoning their homes or worries about their future after reaching Mexico. The emotional toll is compounded by the ongoing violence, such as police and gang violence, which renders passages through certain areas deadly.