2022 is on track to being the deadliest year for border deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to CNN reporter Priscilla Alvarez, there have been 748 deaths along the United States' southern border since October, an increase from the 557 deaths in the last fiscal year.
“This might be the deadliest year, the deadliest fiscal year. A Homeland Security official now tells me that, so far this fiscal year, there have been 748 deaths along the southwest border, and that is still with a month to go in the fiscal year. Now, to compare, last fiscal year, there [were] 557 deaths and 247 deaths in fiscal year 2020,” Alvarez said.
These numbers only take into account those confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), meaning there could be hundreds of deaths that go unaccounted for.
Alvarez pointed out that illegal migrants often take treacherous paths in order to cross over into the U.S., noting eight bodies were recently found in the Rio Grande.
“Now, remember, migrants often pass through treacherous terrain, dangerous waters, and sometimes fall off the border barrier when crossing from Mexico to the United States. And that really came into focus last week when eight bodies were recovered from the Rio Grande in what was a mass drowning incident,” Alvarez said.
It is also worth noting that migrants who are unfamiliar with the terrain along the U.S.-Mexico border are more likely to rely on smugglers to help with finding routes into the U.S.
“[U.S. Customs Border and Protections] pointed me to smugglers as some of those taking advantage of migrants, saying, ‘Smuggling organizations are abandoning migrants in remote and dangerous areas, leading to a rise in the number of rescues but also tragically a rise in the number of deaths,’” Alvarez continued to say.