Border Patrol urges immigrants to avoid illegal crossing due to high temperatures

RIO GRANDE, Texas (KOSA) -US Customs and Border Protection is asking migrants not to attempt to cross into Texas.

However, an organization that works to protect children regardless of legal status, urges state leaders to ensure the safety of kids trying to cross over to the U.S.

Children at Risk’s migrant center said that state officials have ordered state troopers and officers working at the border to deny water to migrant children and families.

With the goal being to push them back into the rio grande.

Every year the U.S. Border Patrol, in the southwest border sectors, encounter the remains of numerous migrants who die due to heat-related injuries.

The death of any human being is tragic and big bend sector would like to warn people of this danger in an attempt to preserve human life.

However, the Director of Children at Risk’s migrant center, says there should be a compromise to avoid more deaths.

“It’s very difficult news to process for people living here in Texas, for any real human being to know that children in critical conditions are being denied water and being sent back directly into danger spaces.” said Linda Corchado, Director of Children at Risk.

Corchado explains how they program focuses on the policy of the states where there are ways to create more links with the representatives to let the community know the importance and urgency of protecting children.

“If we can act in another totally different way to protect our children, no matter what their status. Every child in this state should be protected and we need to see that change in our government.” said Corchado.

So far in the 2023 fiscal year, Big Bend has recorded 63 rescues.

These rescues have included rescue beacon activations and 911 calls from migrants in distress.

Unfortunately, the big bend sector has also discovered five migrant fatalities this fiscal year.

“Even a pregnant mom lost her child during this process where there is a lot of obstruction that prevents that process from crossing into the United States.” said Corchado.

Rescue beacons being deployed by U.S. Border Patrol through partnerships with land-owners are saving lives.

They’ve proven to be an important tool for undocumented migrants to find them, day-or-night, in the unforgiving terrain of West Texas.

The rescue beacons are activated with the push of a button to notify border patrol of people in distress.

U.S. Customs and Border Protections response to Children at Risk’s states:

The extreme heat does not discriminate, everyone crossing the desert is at potential loss of life. Criminal smuggling organizations are still pushing migrants to cross the border illegally into West Texas. They do not care about the lives and safety of the migrants, but only about the money they can gain by exploiting them.

This time of year, illegal entries in Big Bend Sector are normally lower due to extreme heat. However, criminal human smugglers still place the lives of migrants in danger by lying to them and encouraging migrants to illegally cross the border during these extreme weather conditions. The criminal smugglers do not care about the lives of migrants.
Agents must be physically and mentally prepared to perform their duties including apprehending those who enter United States illegally and rescuing those affected by the extreme heat.
Preservation of life is of utmost importance to our agents regardless of citizenship.
Big Bend Sector has certified Emergency Medical Technicians that perform life-saving actions when they encounter a migrant suffering from the impacts of the heat, in addition to calling on additional medical care through the appropriate medical response unit including both ground and aerial assets.