The U.S.-Mexico borderlands near El Paso, Texas, have seen a significant increase in migrant deaths in recent years. The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office has recovered 121 sets of remains so far this year, a dramatic increase from five years ago. Most of the deaths are heat-related, as the desert region reaches extreme temperatures in the summer. This spike in deaths is largely attributed to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which has pushed smuggling routes into more remote and dangerous areas. The federal government has been blamed for the deaths by Abbott’s press secretary, as the operation aims to redirect migrants to legal crossing points. Smugglers are also held responsible for many of the deaths, as they often abandon migrants who fall behind after taking their phones. The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office marks these deaths as accidental, but questions whether leaving someone in the desert to die should be considered criminal neglect. The situation highlights the dangers faced by migrants attempting to cross the border and the complex issues surrounding immigration enforcement efforts.
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Increase in migrant fatalities near El Paso
