Institute of Politics

IOP Pritzker Fellow Katie Tobin on "Dismantling the Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry of Moving Migrants" THIS SEMINAR IS OPEN TO CURRENT UCHICAGO STUDENTS ONLY Wednesday, November 13 12:30-1:45pm Last September, the Panamanian government flew me and a few other senior U.S. officials to a remote indigenous community inside the Darien Gap. There we witnessed a wave of men, women and young children, walking through the most dangerous corridor in the world. They were tired, hungry; many were barefoot and injured. It was heart-wrenching to see. We learned that many of these migrants had given their life savings to smugglers for safe passage. The harsh reality is that criminal groups and local opportunists are collectively making billions on human desperation. In fact, in the last couple of years, we have seen some of the largest Latin American cartels involved in the drug trade shift their business model because moving people is even more lucrative. This has created an enormous challenge for the U.S. government, and it was a central topic when I would meet with them in the region and in Washingto Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Sarah Palmisciano (spalmisciano@uchicago.edu).