EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Immigration advocates are calling for asylum restrictions between ports of entry to be relaxed, as migrants placing their lives in the hands of smugglers are dying in record numbers here.
A total of 176 migrants died in canals, mountains and the desert in El Paso and southern New Mexico in the recently concluded fiscal year 2024. That’s 27 more than the previous record of 149 deceased migrants border agents encountered in FY 2023.
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“It’s heartbreaking,” said Alan Lizarraga, a spokesman for the Border Network for Human Rights. “There is a lot of frustration to know that person was a father, a mother, somebody’s son or uncle. People arriving here are people who have families, people who work hard and have dreams. Sadly, when they arrive at the border they become just another number.”
BNHR and the Hope Border Institute say they noticed a steep increase in migrant fatalities after the White House on June 4 issued an executive order banning most foreign nationals from applying for asylum if they came into the country between ports of entry.