Fewer legal pathways and more security along the U.S.-Mexico border are benefiting criminal enterprises in Mexico, costing lives in the summer heat and leading migrants from farther away to pay eye-popping amounts of money. 

An investigation by the Mexican and U.S. governments shows that La Linea, a cartel in Juárez, Mexico, is smuggling around 1,000 migrants through tunnels in El Paso every month, Steve Fisher and Alfredo Corchado report in USA Today. Cartels have shifted from smuggling drugs to smuggling people, experts say. 

"A kilo of cocaine might bring in $1,500, but the risk is very high. The cost-benefit of trafficking a person is $10,000, $12,000, $15,000," said Arturo Velasco of the anti-kidnapping unit at the state of Chihuahua attorney general’s office. 

Meanwhile, six migrants were found abandoned by smugglers and suffering from dehydration on Wednesday, reports Julian Resendiz of Border Report. A seventh migrant in the group, a man in his 20s, died. 

And for some migrants from India and Africa, trying to get to the U.S. can involve paying up to $96,000 per person for a journey that might start with a charter flight to Central America, reports a team at Reuters and Columbia Journalism Investigations.  

The Biden administration is "revoking U.S. visas for owners and executives of charter airlines and other companies thought to be facilitating smuggling" and warning commercial airlines to be on the lookout for passengers who may want to migrate unlawfully, the team notes. And it has taken measures against officials from Nicaragua, which has emerged as a transit hub. 

Take in the whole story, as well as the photos. 

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Dan Gordon, the Forum’s strategic communications VP, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Samantha Siedow, Ally Villarreal and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at [email protected]. 

CONCERNS — Shelter leaders and officials in El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, range from as yet uncertain to skeptical regarding the Biden administration’s order this month that limits access to asylum, Ariana Figueroa of States Newsroom reports. "I don’t think anybody really knows how this is going to play out," said Michael DeBruhl, director of the shelter at Sacred Heart Church in El Paso. "We think that this might exacerbate the situation," said Aimée Santillán, a policy analyst at Hope Border Institute.  

CHALLENGES — Concerns about the temporary nature of humanitarian parole for Afghan evacuees continue, reports Munaza Shaheed of Voice of America. Without a certain future, employment, housing and education remain volatile. Evacuees and advocates alike continue to call on Congress to take legislative action.  

This week in local welcome: 

NEW HOPE — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in Florida are optimistic about President Biden’s new immigration action, reports Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix. "[DACA] has already provided me with so many opportunities to not only live here but give back to my community, and to study and work here," said Ahtziry Barrera. Meanwhile, Wisconsin families are also among those who could benefit from this week’s actions, Andrew Bahl and Danielle DuClos of The Cap Times report. 

HONORING REFUGEES — "We can’t forget where we come from even as we all join hands as Americans," Margot Habiby of the George W. Bush Institute writes in a personal World Refugee Day reflection. Separately, people of faith are sponsoring refugees through Welcome.US and in partnership with relief organizations, reports Dale Chamberlain of Church Leaders. And a new Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force blog post highlights stories from members’ communities. Elsewhere locally: 

Thanks for reading,  

Dan