How underreporting, racial profiling and anti-immigrant rhetoric hide the true scale of hate and violence against migrants in the United States.

This article by Diego Torres appears in the November 2026 issue of Let’s Talk About Migration (Hablemos de Migración), a magazine on migration issues published by the Frente Amplio de Mexicanos y Migrantes. Read and download the full November issue.

Let's Talk About Migration

Violence against migrants is not new in U.S. history, but it has intensified under the Trump administration, from his rhetoric to ICE operations and racial profiling cases. In March 2026, a federal judge found “compelling and troubling” evidence that immigration agents in Minnesota made arrests based on people’s race or ethnicity.

We have already addressed the issue of violence in the United States, where shootings and massacres are not uncommon. In 2025, the FBI received reports of 10,881 hate incidents, with 13,438 victims. In incidents motivated by a single type of prejudice, more than half of the victims were targeted due to racial, ethnic, or ancestry bias. These figures are alarming when we consider that undocumented immigrants tend not to report crimes. Recent studies have found that fear of deportation and the involvement of local police in immigration enforcement reduce the willingness of immigrant communities to come forward. This suggests that the problem may be far more serious than official statistics indicate.

As I mentioned earlier, violence against migrants is not new, nor is the fear many migrants have of reporting it. Years ago, the U visa was created as a measure to address precisely this situation. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services itself acknowledges that when Congress created this protection in 2000, it took into account that people without legal immigration status could be especially vulnerable and that many avoided cooperating with authorities for fear of deportation. The U visa sought to protect victims of certain crimes and, at the same time, make it easier for them to report the crimes and cooperate with investigations.

The option worked, but currently the number of applications far exceeds the system’s capacity. The law allows only 10,000 primary U visas to be granted per year, and that limit has been reached every year since 2010. The process can take years. Furthermore, filing an application does not guarantee immediate protection from deportation: USCIS must first make a favorable determination or place the applicant on a waiting list before they can receive deferred action and employment authorization.

On the other hand, the fear of reporting that this measure seeks While the problem has diminished, it has returned strongly when migrants observe local police working in coordination with ICE. This is not merely a perception. The federal 287(g) program allows state and local authorities to receive limited powers to perform certain immigration functions under ICE supervision. A study published in 2016 in American Economics… The review found that police participation in immigration enforcement programs reduced the likelihood of Hispanic victims reporting crimes, and as reports decreased, crimes against this population increased. Migrants feel that going to the police could also pose an immigration risk and therefore prefer not to report crimes.

As can be seen, if relatively common crimes go unreported and unaddressed, it will be much harder to expect the government to acknowledge potential hate crimes committed against migrants, even when these occur during operations carried out by the authorities themselves. Cases of racial profiling have already reached the courts. In Minnesota, a federal judge concluded that there was evidence of arrests made solely based on race or ethnicity during immigration operations.

The vulnerability of migrants is alarming, as is the indifference of the Trump administration and the governments of the countries of origin. The number of migrant deaths is significant, but it represents only the most publicized aspect. Reports of excessive use of force, racial profiling, and other abuses continue to surface. In March 2026, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed its concern about reports of violence and excessive use of force during immigration operations, as well as the racial profiling of people perceived as migrants.

Abuses against migrants attempting to enter the United States had already been reported during the Biden administration, but this history is rarely mentioned today. Human Rights Watch documented cases in 2024 of Mexican asylum seekers being blocked, mistreated, and returned to Mexico by border agents.

Violence Against Migrants: The Hatred That Must Also Be Investigated

Illustration: Let’s Talk About Migration, November 2026

If we add to this the fact that figures like Gregory Bovino exist within the Border Patrol, we can better understand what migrants have faced for decades. Bovino became one of the most visible faces of this administration’s immigration operations. The Associated Press documented tactics that included breaking vehicle windows, using chemical agents, and large-scale operations, while his strategy of quick arrests, known as “turn and burn,” generated strong criticism during operations in Minnesota.

The midterm elections on November 3, 2026, will also determine the political margin within which Trump can continue to push his agenda for the next two years.

Trump has used immigrants to explain many of the nation’s problems and has repeatedly made accusations about the alleged illegal voting of non-citizens. Some of these claims have not been substantiated. In July 2016, for example, he claimed that thousands of undocumented immigrants had voted in New Jersey, but the available data did not support that claim.

He even recently announced a $1 million reward. On October 26, Trump offered that amount to anyone who provides information about voter fraud leading to an arrest and conviction. The reward was not specifically announced for anyone who proves that immigrants vote, although it comes amid a campaign in which Trump has consistently insisted on linking immigration to alleged voter fraud.

This also forces us to remember what happened on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College votes from the 2020 presidential election.

If Trump’s current political tactics fail, his opponents may consider it a victory. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a victory for migrants. The real danger is that some of the anger that has been simmering for years will end up being directed against a population that has been consistently portrayed as responsible for problems that extend far beyond immigration.

MAGA supporters will have to face the election results and the rhetoric they have heard for years. The risk that this hatred will once again manifest itself in acts of violence should not be ignored, especially since a United Nations body has already warned that the public criminalization of migrants can contribute to discrimination and hate crimes.

That is why we must demand that all governments recognize not only the importance of migrants, but something even more urgent: that they denounce hate speech, investigate abuses committed against this population and, where legal means exist, recognize and prosecute hate crimes committed against migrants.

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