The United States under President Donald Trump is fully committed to an all-out assault on immigrants. Much of Trump’s ire is directed at MS-13, the transnational gang known primarily for its brutal slayings. But what’s often lost in the discussion is the fact that the United States inadvertently helped create MS-13 after providing millions to El Savador’s oppressive right-wing regime during its civil war in the ’80s. A refugee crisis ensued, causing thousands of young Salvadorans to flee to America. Many were penniless and found themselves hanging out in the streets of Los Angeles, where the gang was born.

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