Record-High Migrant Deaths Worldwide in 2023, UN Reports
The Border Center brings you the top border news for March 7, 2024.
More than 8,500 migrants died on land and sea routes last year
The Associated Press.- In a grim record, the UN migration agency reported that 8,565 migrants perished on global land and sea routes in 2023, marking the highest death toll since it began its annual tally a decade ago. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted the Mediterranean Sea as particularly perilous, with fatalities rising to 3,129 from 2,411 the previous year, although still below the peak in 2016. The overall death toll reflects a nearly 20% increase from 2022, with the majority of losses attributed to drowning. The IOM stressed that these figures likely fall short of the actual numbers due to challenges in data collection, particularly in remote areas like the Darien Gap and the Sahara Desert. The agency emphasized the profound human tragedy behind each death, impacting families and communities long after the loss.
Tragic Discovery in Rio Grande Highlights Migrant Crisis Dangers
https://www.newsweek.com/dead-body-found-rio-grande-river-near-texas-mexico-border-1876649
Newsweek’s Mick Mordowanec.- A tragic reminder of the perils faced by migrants was underscored when a dead body was recovered from the Rio Grande River along the Texas-Mexico border. This incident, reported by Fox News, comes amid a surge in migrant encounters at the southern border, exceeding 7,000 daily over the past week. The small city of Eagle Pass, Texas, now finds itself at the heart of the national immigration debate, further spotlighted by a recent visit from former President Donald Trump. The incident emphasizes the dire circumstances many face in their quest for a better life, challenging both nations to address the humanitarian aspects of the migration crisis.
Biden's State of the Union May Sideline Immigration Discussion Amid Crisis
Los Angeles Times’s Andrea Castillo and Noah Bierman.- In President Biden's upcoming State of the Union address, amidst a failed bipartisan national security bill and contemplations of executive actions on asylum, the spotlight turns dimly on immigration. Despite significant first-term accomplishments, Biden's strategy on immigration hangs in the balance. With the border crisis intensifying and immigration policy under scrutiny, attendees and activists hope for a significant mention. However, experts suggest that dwelling on the ongoing border issues might not serve the administration's narrative of success. Congress members' guest lists, featuring Border Patrol agents, DACA recipients, and immigrant rights activists, narrate the multifaceted immigration debate. Yet, as political divisions deepen, comprehensive immigration reform seems elusive, spotlighting the complexity of addressing immigration in a politically charged environment.
Drug trafficker killed and buried two witnesses to silence them, feds allege. One was six months pregnant
Los Angeles Times’s Salvador Hernández.- Federal prosecutors charged a man for the alleged murder of two witnesses in a drug trafficking case, aiming to silence them from testifying. Homeland Security Investigations led to the indictment of 22-year-old Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, accused of orchestrating the deaths of Cesar Armando Murillo and Maira Sofia Hernandez, who was six months pregnant. The victims, interviewed by federal agents in Yakima, Washington, in August 2022, were later found buried in the desert with gunshot wounds. Madrigal-Birrueta, the purported leader of a smuggling operation utilizing stolen vehicles for drug transport across the U.S.-Mexico border, faces charges including two counts of murder and conspiracy to import controlled substances. The discovery of the victims' bodies followed an extensive search utilizing advanced technologies. This case highlights the severe measures taken to obstruct justice and the ongoing efforts to combat organized crime impacting border security.