The Obama administration is intending to run a number of short public service announcements (PSA) in Spanish in an attempt to cut down on the amount of undocumented immigrants crossing the border from Central America into the United States. The campaign’s first PSA was run this week, with Customs and Border Protection warning would-be immigrants of the dangers of the 1,600 mile journey to the north.
There is no mention in the public service announcement, which runs for a total of just 48 seconds, that the practice is against the law or that undocumented immigrants who are apprehended by US authorities are likely to just be sent back home again. The PSA focuses on a Central American mother speaking of her experience with smugglers in trying to get the United States, warning of false promises as well as the risk of sexual abuse and potential suffocation in tractor trailer boxes.
In a statement Jaime Ruz, a spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, says that the woman in the announcement is one of thousands of immigrants from Central America that have tried to get to the United States in recent years, only to suffer many atrocities such as sexual abuse, assault, exploitation and kidnapping.
Customs and Border Protection says that it will likely follow up the adverts with an outreach campaign intended to be aimed at communities in the United States who might be tempted to send for family members in Central America.