American Journal of Public Health
Volume 96, Issue 7, 2006, Pages 1282-1287

Unauthorized border crossing and migrant deaths: Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, 2002-2003 (Article)

Sapkota S.* , Kohl III H.W. , Gilchrist J. , McAuliffe J. , Parks B. , England B. , Flood T. , Sewell C.M. , Perrotta D. , Escobedo M. , Stern C.E. , Zane D. , Nolte K.B.
  • a National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA, United States, MBBS, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States
  • b National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA, United States
  • c National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
  • d Office of Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
  • e Forensic Science Center, Pima County Medical Examiner's Office, Tucson, AZ, United States
  • f [Affiliation not available]
  • g Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, AZ, United States
  • h New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, United States
  • i [Affiliation not available]
  • j [Affiliation not available]
  • k [Affiliation not available]
  • l Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX, United States
  • m Office of the Medical Investigator, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States

Abstract

Objectives. We examined the major causes of and risk factors for death among migrants who died while making unauthorized border crossings into the United States from Mexico. Methods. Decedents were included in the study if (1) their remains were found between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2003, in any US county along the 650-mi (1040-km) section of the US-Mexican border from Yuma, Ariz, to El Paso, Tex; (2) their immigration status was unauthorized; and (3) they were believed to have died during transit from Mexico to the United States. Characteristics of the decedents and causes of and risk factors for their deaths were examined. Results. Among the 409 decedents meeting our inclusion criteria, environmental heat exposure (n = 250; 61.1%) was the leading cause of death, followed by vehicle crashes (n = 33; 8.1%) and drownings (n = 24; 5.9%). Male decedents (n = 298; 72.8%) outnumbered female decedents (n = 105; 25.6%) nearly 3 to 1. More than half of the decedents were known to be Mexican nationals (n = 235; 57.5%) and were aged 20 to 39 years (n = 213; 52.0%); the nationality of 148 (36.2%) decedents was undetermined. Conclusions. Deaths among migrants making unauthorized crossings of the US-Mexican border are due to causes that are largely preventable. Prevention strategies should target young Mexican men, and focus on preventing them from conceiving plans to cross the border, discouraging them from using dangerous routes as crossing points, and providing search-and-rescue teams to locate lost or injured migrant crossers.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

demography sex ratio Arizona human sex difference middle aged statistics thermal exposure Aged ethnology Mexico Hispanic Americans Accidents, Traffic drowning United States heat exhaustion Humans coroner Coroners and Medical Examiners Hispanic Adolescent Infant, Newborn male preschool child female Infant risk factor Risk Factors Child, Preschool newborn Article major clinical study adult migration Sex Distribution age distribution Emigration and Immigration Transients and Migrants cause of death traffic accident illegal immigrant mortality Texas Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33745666707&doi=10.2105%2fAJPH.2005.075168&partnerID=40&md5=4e66ae71ba6ea30fc8336e148a406715
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.075168
ISSN: 00900036
Cited by: 24
Original Language: English