The surge in illegal migration to the US from a South American country is largely driven by chaos and violence in that country.

The escalating violence in Ecuador has led to concerns of a significant increase in migration to the U.S. With blasts, prison takeovers, and mafia activity, thousands of Ecuadorians feel compelled to seek refuge elsewhere.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge of chaos, numerous Ecuadorians have been leaving "the land of four worlds."

The United States is the most popular destination for Ecuadorian emigrants, with 41% of them leaving for this country, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The think tank explains that the recent increase in domestic insecurity has triggered this exodus.

Ecuador, situated between major cocaine-producing countries, has experienced a surge in gang activity due to the increased presence of Mexican and Colombian cartels. This has led to a rapid destabilization of the country. The situation escalated when more than a dozen armed men invaded a local television station's live broadcast earlier this month. As tensions have boiled over, Ecuador's government has declared war on more than 20,000 criminals.

To combat ongoing gang disturbances, Ecuador has been under a state of emergency since January 9th. The 60-day emergency decree was issued as the country grapples with what President Daniel Noboa refers to as an "armed internal conflict."

Ecuador's most wanted list includes a notorious gangster, Jose Adolfo Macias, who is responsible for a surge in violent crimes in the country.

Ecuadorian migration has increased rapidly due to the escalating violence in Ecuador, and the deteriorating conditions will likely continue to drive this trend, according to Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America program at the Wilson Center, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Over the past several months, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has been facing a significant increase in migrants originating from Ecuador. In fiscal 2023, the agency recorded a record 117,487 Ecuadorians, representing a 371% increase from the previous year. Moreover, there was a 397% rise in the apprehensions of Ecuadorian family units from 2022 to 2023.

The ongoing unrest in the country is causing concerns about overwhelming the already strained southern U.S. border.

In the past two weeks, Ecuador authorities have brought some control to the unrest that has been occurring.

After days of riots, order has been restored to prisons and more than 200 police staff and officers have been successfully released. Authorities have also seized large amounts of contraband and narcotics from criminal entities.

Despite the government's best efforts, the turmoil continues despite the widespread security operations resulting in approximately 2,000 arrests, including hundreds from 22 designated terrorist gangs.

This week, Ecuadorian government officials met with senior officials from the Biden administration to show solidarity with the United States after a recent increase in violence.

The U.S. has committed to providing $1 million in critical security and emergency response equipment to the Ecuadorian government, while also deploying personnel from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to enhance security operations in Ecuador.

The ongoing deadlock among U.S. lawmakers regarding border policy coincides with an international crisis and an escalating threat in Ecuador, which could exacerbate an already chaotic situation due to the lack of agreement on the border.

Gedan advised the U.S. to encourage a serious response to Ecuador's security crisis, as migration north is only expected to increase.