Check out this thread from the PBS series "Wide Angle". The documentary is about thug street gangs in El Salvador called "18 With A Bullet". The documentary talks about the illegal immigration issue, and that 20% of the pouplation from El Salvadore now lives in the US.

Some first hand knowledge posted on the PBS message board, about what impact these thugs have on a country and community.

This thread is from the feedback forum, about the documentary.
http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=57433

Home page about the documentary..
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows ... index.html