Death on the Border: The Summer of 2007

This may sound like a broken reord (or CD or IPOD) but the deaths along the U.S./Mexico border continue to accumulate — and they are a direct result of U.S. border enforcement.  A USA Today article by William Welch reports that the number of undocumented immigrants who have died trying to get into the United States is higher than ever this summer. A U.S. group that tries to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who die while trying to get across the border says an increase in such deaths this year suggests there has been no lessening in the flow of migrants. Robin Hoover, a pastor who runs Humane Borders out of Tucson, says people are skirting crossings where the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has increased enforcement for more remote, deadly spots. “They’re pushing the migrants farther into the desert,” says Hoover, whose group installs desert water stations and shelters.

KJ