Thread: Arizona struggles to identify dead migrants

Arizona struggles to identify dead migrants

Posted 3m ago
By Weston Phippen
The Arizona Republic

TUCSON — Bruce Anderson rubbed his eyes, which were as red as his maroon scrubs, as he talked about the suspected illegal immigrants whose bodies come through his office with astonishing regularity.

Anderson is Pima County's forensic anthropologist. This year, he has counted 88 such cases — above the norm for this time of year. He said if it's July and "we're sitting around 150 … then this is going to be the worst year in the last 10."

Every year for a decade, more than 200 suspected illegal immigrants die crossing the U.S.-Mexican border into Arizona. That's roughly half of all such immigrants who die in the U.S., according to the U.S. Border Patrol and a 2009 American Civil Liberties Union study. Anderson's job is to get the bodies back to their families.

Years ago, the office averaged 19 undocumented immigrant bodies a year. The death tide in Arizona started in 1994 with Operation Gatekeeper and rose in 2002 when President George W. Bush signed a bill that led to the largest restructuring of border enforcement since World War II, according to a 2009 Migration Policy Institute (MPI) study.

The squeeze was put on El Paso and San Diego, shifting immigrants to the Arizona border.

"We're the portal of entry now," Anderson said. "Hard to survive it, but easy to get across."

Although 45% of undocumented immigrants are apprehended at least once while trying to cross the border, 97% eventually gain entry into the U.S., the MPI study says.

"The smugglers have gone to more isolated areas because we have more of a presence and a deterrence than ever before," said Rob Daniels, a Border Patrol spokesman.

Anderson still has 90 suspected undocumented immigrant bodies from last year that haven't been identified. Of the 88 bodies that have already come in this year, at least 25 are piles of bones with no leads on who they are. "I still look forward to the day when something happens where the migrants aren't dying," he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... dies_N.htm

above the norm for this time of year. He said if it's July and "we're sitting around 150 … then this is going to be the worst year in the last 10."

Yeah,but Napolitano said the border is more secured now then in the past

And why does the US have to identify them??? Let Mexico foot the bill. Put them in rubber coffins and slingshot them back over the border. That certainly would come in handy when their delinquent punks start throwing rocks at our border agents!

Yeah, I know, crass huh... It's just hard to feel much sympathy for the illegal border crossers anymore. Put enough guard and border patrol agents on the border, build the rest of the darn fence and enforce some serious penalties for breaking the immigration law (both the people and employers) and they won't be so keen to risk their lives to come suck of the American teat.

All of these deaths would have been prevented if the illegal aliens would just stop violating our laws.

Don't run out in the wasteland paying drug smugglers to help you steal part of another nation and you won't have to worry.

W

As posted before, these days illegals have more to fear than the desert or Border patrol, individuals and groups of illegals when coming across without consent of cartels or paying coyotes are not gonna make it much of the time

The days of crossing with illegal contraband are over. Unless the cartels/Mexican officials get their money the bodies will continue to increase.Illegals are used to the easy money from smuggling of past years.
We are at War,and its right at our back door.
The corrupt Mexican government and their cartels watch our border much closer than our government and for one reason $$$$ and more $