New research reveals a troubling link between U.S. gun sales and the violence faced by asylum seekers from Mexico, as many of the assault rifles purchased in states like Texas are ending up in the hands of drug cartels. According to Brown University anthropologist Ieva Jusionyte, these weapons, often bought with drug money, are smuggled into Mexico where high demand exists amid strict gun laws, exacerbating violence and prompting desperate migration.
Jusionyte emphasizes that the very guns purchased in America not only arm criminal organizations but also spark the refugee crisis at the U.S. southern border. She notes that legal asylum seekers come from backgrounds of fear and violence, often linked to the drug gangs armed with these assault-style rifles, illustrating a complex cycle of supply and demand that fuels both gun violence and migration.
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