Migrant border deaths surge amid extreme heat waves 

The number of migrants that have died attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border has surged as temperatures surpass 100 degrees for 36 consecutive days, according to officials. 

“We are currently recording a significant number of migrant deaths in New Mexico due to the desert terrain and extreme heat,” the U.S. Border Patrol told the Border Report. 

The bodies of at least 96 undocumented migrants have been found in the El Paso Sector since the beginning of the 2023 Fiscal Year in October, outpacing the 29 bodies found last fiscal year. About 69 of the bodies were found in the desert located within Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station’s area. 

Most of the migrants have died from heat exhaustion, as temperatures continue to increase beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit for several consecutive days. 

“We are seeing a lot of people crossing during the hottest part of the day, which is something we normally had not seen before,” Border Patrol Agent Andy Buckert explained. “That ends up being a very dangerous thing.”

“Migrants do not have sufficient water and there is minimal shade,” the Border Patrol said in a statement.

Part of the deaths is being attributed to human smugglers, who believe that the record heat means that there will be fewer officers protecting the border, giving them the opportunity to sneak migrants into the United States. However, these actions are what end up killing the migrants. 

“When they cross the border, they are already ‘gased out.’ They don’t have the energy to run and the smuggler is telling them, ‘Run! Run! The highway is not that far.’ They end up losing their (bearings), they get separated from the group, they end up overheating and dying in situations like that,” Buckert continues.