If they arrive as wealthy as you suggest, maybe they are more of a credit to our nation that I thought. Maybe they are in a position to turn down charity or government help and pay their own way.

About arriving stripped of valuable possessions: I read somewhere that the '23 1.7T budget includes reimbursement to NGOs and charities that provide/provided relief to migrants, and that the amount was short of 1B but in the hundreds of millions.

The efforts of those charities, churches, etc. might account for the apparent prosperity you claim to observe among recent illegal immigrants who got here under cartel "protection."

I haven't read anything to make me think that the Mexican cartels are doing anything but exploiting those who are answering Biden's call--and, by exploiting, I mean squeezing everything they can out of them. I would like to see some evidence besides casual observation that I'm wrong in my current assumption.

I've noticed much of the same. Also, every once in a while one hears about how much the cartels charge for the mule service along with how poverty stricken the illegal aliens are, but nowhere do I see an explanation of where the dough comes from to buy the mule ticket, clothing, backpacks, cell phones, and even sustenance and shelter for a thousand mile (or much more) journey - not to mention non-US flags to fly and printed posters. I think that well photographed group wearing the new Biden for president shirts are a hint at one source of revenue - TREASON!