Under US President Donald Trump, the issues of organized crime and immigration have converged like never before.
Since Trump took office, criminal organizations such as MS13 and Tren de Aragua have been labeled foreign terrorist organizations that are invading the United States. Thousands of migrants have been detained and deported in the name of anti-gang offensives. And Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been supercharged while the federal agencies traditionally tasked with combating transnational organized crime face budget cuts.
Is the new hardline approach to immigration enforcement an effective weapon against the violent transnational gangs that prey on communities in the United States? Or is the threat of Latin American organized crime being used to justify the indiscriminate persecution of migrants?
In search of answers, InSight Crime reports from the state of Tennessee, where these national conflicts and criminal dynamics are playing out on a local stage.
Investigation Chapters
The Nashville ICE Raids: Anti-Gang Offensive or Immigration Crackdown?
In Nashville, Tennessee, an immigration enforcement operation supposedly targeting areas with gang activity turned into a dragnet for migrants. The sweep left the migrant community gripped by fear and distrust toward authorities.
Tren de Aragua in Tennessee: A Ghost Train?
In Tennessee, warnings about the advance of Tren de Aragua have been driven more by alarmism than by evidence. While the state has only seen a handful of cases, political discourse is amplifying fear and the stigmatizing of the migrant community.
Feeding the Beast: MS13 in Nashville
In Nashville, the MS13 took root through the Thompson Place Locos Salvatrucha clique. Fueled by poverty and social exclusion, the group was disorganized, unsophisticated – but extremely violent.
Credits:
Written by: James Bargent
Edited by: Steven Dudley, MarÃa Fernanda RamÃrez, Mike LaSusa, Deborah Bonello
Fact-checking: Bruce Kay
Graphics: Juan José Restrepo, Christopher Newton
