Introduction

This chapter explores the surge of unaccompanied minors and their parents immigrating from Central America to the United States in 2014, attributing it to the violence and control exerted by violent street gangs in countries like El Salvador and Guatemala. It recounts an incident in El Salvador where gang members set buses on fire and murdered bus drivers, causing the capital to come to a standstill, and follows the unfolding bus crisis minute by minute, highlighting the impact of the gangs' actions in El Salvador.