At least 853 people have died in the last twelve months attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border without documentation and 2022 is already the deadliest year for migrants since U.S. records have been kept.
These are Border Patrol data published by the CBS television network and do not even cover all migrant deaths, as the Border Patrol only counts migrants identified or processed in U.S. territory.
The figure far exceeds the previous record of 546 deaths recorded in 2021, always taking into account the limitations of this count, as highlighted by migration policy analysts consulted by CBS. In fact, the network recalls that in April federal authorities detected that the Border Patrol did not record «complete data on migrant deaths».
In addition, the Border Patrol has reported a large increase in rescue operations, with 22,014 in the last twelve months, up 72 percent over 2021, according to a CBP statistic.
Many have drowned in the Rio Grande. Others have perished due to high temperatures in the inhospitable desert. There have also been fatalities from the walls erected on the border, which some people climb over. Even those who manage to enter are still in danger as evidenced by the discovery of 53 dead migrants in a truck in July.
U.S. federal authorities have apprehended 2.4 million migrants at the U.S. southern border in 2022, the highest number ever.
The tally includes 1.1 million removals under pandemic restrictions, as well as a significant number of repeat crossings.
