The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office has seen a significant increase in the number of bodies recovered in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, with 121 sets of remains found so far this year compared to just a handful in previous years. Most of these deaths are heat-related, as migrants are often not well-hydrated or well-fed after spending days in poor conditions. The spike in deaths is largely attributed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which has forced smugglers to move routes west of El Paso into more dangerous areas in New Mexico. Abbott’s press secretary blames the federal government for the deaths and argues that the operation helps deter illegal crossings. However, officials in New Mexico believe that smugglers are also to blame, as they often abandon migrants who fall behind in dangerous conditions. The deaths highlight a historical pattern where enforcement efforts push smuggling routes into more remote and dangerous areas, leading to a higher number of fatalities. The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office marks these deaths as accidental, but questions whether leaving someone to die in the desert should be considered homicide by neglect. The increase in deaths in this small area near El Paso is a concerning trend that raises important questions about the human cost of border enforcement and migration policies.
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