These Americans are finding, identifying and burying dead migrants. They hope to restore dignity to the migrants who died trying to cross into the US
Missing in the desert
Members of the Aguilas del Desierto search for migrant remains in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, a remote area in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Still, it was rare to find a fully fleshed body in the scorching heat of the desert, which can render a human skeletal in a matter of weeks. Even more unusual, the man would be quickly identified.
The Aguilas group was founded in 2009 by Mexican-American migrant Eli Ortiz after his brother and cousin died while attempting to cross the Sonoran Desert. Their story, he says, is common to many. Arizona’s numbers speak for themselves. Between 1990 and 1999, the average number of migrant deaths recorded each fiscal year in southern Arizona was 12. From 2000 to 2017, that number) according to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner.
However, what soon became clear is that the challenges of crossing through inhospitable landscapes like the Sonoran Desert wouldn’t stop migrants from attempting to make the journey.in its nine sectors along the entire southwestern border. And this astonishing figure -- more than the total number of US military killed in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since 2001 -- is likely a significant undercount.
According to Border Patrol, most deaths occur as a result of dehydration. Many other migrants die after being left behind because of a simple, treatable injury. Migrants walk at night to evade detection, and rocky terrain makes broken bones a common occurrence. Even a bad case of blisters can cause migrants to be abandoned by the smugglers they pay to guide them, leading to almost certain death, Campo says.
“When I find remains of people in the desert, I honestly see myself in that process of dying,” Campo says. “That is me.”Dr. Greg Hess, chief medical examiner of Pima County in Tucson, Arizona, points to the outdoor cooler –- capacity: 115 human bodies -- the extra one they had to build in 2005 after the flood of migrant remains began to overwhelm his office.Dr. Greg Hess, Pima County’s chief medical examiner, pulls a body out of his office's indoor cooler.
“There's really no way to track these types of deaths unless you are keeping your own internal numbers.” Medical examiners also look to see if the migrants carried any personal effects that might provide a clue to their identity.At first glance, the metal lockers look just like the ones you’d find in an American high school.
The Colibri Center for Human Rights collects detailed missing persons reports in order to try and unite families with the remains of their loved ones.“When we take missing persons reports, we don’t treat that as a legal law enforcement document. We treat that as a scientific document and a humanitarian document,” Reineke says.
When skeletal remains are found with no belongings, DNA becomes the only chance of identification. Since 2016, Colibri has taken DNA samples from more than 583 individual family members in the hope of finding answers in the Pima office’s database of more than 1,000 samples.But the relentless human toll is hard for Reineke.
But now, a decade since the last pauper’s grave was dug here, the remains of unidentified border crossers are coming back to Terrace Park. Except this time, their cremated bodies aren’t buried at the back. Instead, a new policy is ensuring remains are placed in an endowed area of the cemetery that is marked and accessible to the public.For years, it has been her job to break the news to any migrant families who came calling about the fate of their loved ones.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘No Olvidado’: These Americans find and bury missing migrantsOn the Arizona border, a Mexican-American volunteer group is trying to find and give dignity to the remains of those who die trying to get to the US
Read more »
Missing Texas mom found dead in car trunk, baby found alive: ReportsA missing Texas mom who mysteriously went missing last week was found dead and her missing 3-week-old daughter was found alive, according to reports.
Read more »
Missing Texas mom was strangled to death; baby believed to be safe, officials sayTexas police said so far a woman has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and tampering with a corpse. Missing mom Heidi Broussard's body was found yesterday.
Read more »
Honduras is not a country for people seeking safety'The Central American caravan phenomenon demonstrates that people want to get out of Honduras no matter what or how.' Opinion | Jose Antonio Silva
Read more »
Woman found dead, baby found alive, believed to be linked to Austin missing caseNEW: Body discovered at home outside Houston believed to be that of Austin mother Heidi Broussard, who went missing with her infant daughter last week, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
Read more »
Texas Mom Heidi Broussard Found Dead & Her Friend Is A SuspectA baby believed to be Heidi Broussard's was found alive and unharmed at the residence.
Read more »