Deaths Along U.S./Mexican Border Up 17 Percent Despite Drop in Crossings, Report Claims

A recent report from a United Nations group that monitors global migration states that the deaths of illegal aliens in the United States are up 17 percent over the same period in 2016. The increase comes despite a nearly 50 percent drop of illegal border crossings.

The report from the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Global Migration Data Analysis Centre claims that 232 illegal immigrants died during the first seven months of 2017. This is a 17 percent increase over the same period in 2016 when 204 illegal immigrants died in the U.S.

“Fifty bodies were recorded as discovered in July, the most recorded in any month so far this year,” Missing Migrants Project (MMP) spokesperson Julia Black said. “Nine were recorded in various locations along the Río Grande; ten in a truck in San Antonio, Texas; and 16 in other locations in Texas.”

Five bodies of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the swollen Rio Grande River in El Paso, Texas, died in a couple of days, Breitbart Texas reported on July 27. The deaths included two teenagers. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Joe Romero told Breitbart Texas this number of deaths in such a short period of time is very unusual. “We average only three or four deaths a year,” he explained. “This is five in less than one week.”

“These deaths occurring in the river itself is also unusual,” he explained. “Most drownings occur in the American canal where the current is much swifter.” He said the combination of monsoon season and the opening flood gates for irrigation created “a perfect storm of danger” for those seeking to cross.

A truck driver is facing charges in San Antonio after ten illegal aliens died in his trailer after being locked in the summer heat without water or air conditioning, Breitbart Texas reported. Police initially found eight bodies in the trailer. Two other people died after being transported to a hospital. Between 120 and 200 illegal aliens were packed into the refrigerated trailer. The trailer’s cooling unit, however, did not function or was not turned on.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blamed the smuggling deaths on sanctuary cities that act as a magnet for illegal immigrants. The July 23 tragedy “is why I made passing Senate Bill 4 to ban sanctuary cities — which is now law — a top priority,” the Republican Lt. Governor posted on Facebook. “Sanctuary cities entice people to believe they can come to America and Texas and live outside the law. Sanctuary cities also enable human smugglers and cartels.”

Border Patrol agents found the bodies of 15 more illegal immigrants in Pima County, Arizona, in July where summer temperatures regularly rise well above 100 degrees, the IOM reported. Pima County alone accounts for 96 deaths of illegal immigrants this year – 41 percent of the national total of 232.

In Brook County, Texas, Border Patrol agents and sheriff’s deputies also perform the job of removing the migrants left to die by their human smugglers. In the first seven months of this year, officials in Brooks County recovered 32 bodies in the arid ranches located 80 to 100 miles north of the Mexican border. These deaths represent another 14 percent of the total national number of deaths.

“These callous human smugglers could care less about the lives of the people they have been paid to smuggle around the Border Patrol’s checkpoint in Falfurrias,” Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez told Breitbart Texas. “They lie to their people about the dangers of the hike, provide them with little food and water, and then abandon them if they can’t keep up for any reason.”

These two counties account for about 55 percent of the total number of deaths and are a result of failing to secure the border.

MMP’s Julia Black contrasted the increasing number of deaths with the decreasing number of illegal border crossings. “These numbers are especially concerning considering that, according to US Border Patrol figures, fewer migrants seem to be crossing into the US in 2017,” she stated. “The U.S. Border Patrol has apprehended 140,024 migrants between January and June 2017, about half the number recorded in the first six months of 2016.”

One disturbing number in the June border apprehension report is the large increase in the arrests of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) and Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) in June. Breitbart Texas reported that Family unit apprehensions increased by 47 percent over the previous month while unaccompanied minor apprehensions rose by 32.5 percent.

Since Breitbart Texas Editor in Chief Brandon Darby reported the historic surge of minors and family units began in the summer of 2014, the Missing Migrant’s Project reports 1,250 immigrant fatalities along the U.S./Mexico Border.

The MMP report graphs the numbers of apprehensions and deaths during the first six months of 2016 and 2017. The first chart shows the historic drop in border apprehensions since President Donald Trump took office in January.

The second chart does not show a corresponding decrease in the number of deaths of illegal immigrants. For all but one month of 2017, deaths were higher than the same months in the prior year.

Officials reported the actual number of deaths could be much higher as deaths in the border regions of southern Arizona and South Texas often go unreported and are not discovered until a body is accidentally found at a later date.

The reason for the increase in this year’s deaths is not known, the report states.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.