In recent years, the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office has seen a significant increase in the number of bodies recovered in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, particularly in the desert west of El Paso, Texas. This year, they have already recovered 121 sets of remains, breaking last year’s record of 116. Unlike Arizona’s vast deserts, where migrant deaths have been common, this area is relatively small and close to suburban subdivisions and highways. Most of the deaths are heat-related, as temperatures in the desert can reach well into the triple digits, with sand temperatures hitting 150 degrees. The spike in deaths is largely attributed to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which has pushed smugglers to attempt routes through New Mexico. First responders, elected officials, and advocates in New Mexico blame the federal government and smugglers for the deaths, as many migrants are left in poor conditions and abandoned in the desert. The New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office marks these deaths as accidental, but questions why leaving someone in the desert to die is not considered homicide by neglect. This increase in deaths follows a historical pattern where enforcement efforts push smuggling routes into more remote and dangerous areas, leading to a higher death toll among migrants.
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