Last July, under pressure from the United States, President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico announced the Plan Frontera Sur — a strategy to further secure its southern border with Guatemala and stop Central American migrants from entering the country, en route to the United States.

A major focus of the border plan is on reducing access to La Bestia, the freight train that take many migrants North. As a result, migrants have been forced to take more obscure routes, away from the safety of the shelter system and other resources. This has made the road more dangerous, especially for women and children.

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