A disturbing trend of migrants sustaining injuries, and tragically losing their lives, while attempting to scale the fences at the U.S.—Mexico border is escalating. Over the past weekend, a mass casualty incident unfolded when ten individuals fell from the border fence near Tijuana, highlighting the perilous risks associated with unauthorized border crossings.
Image: Injured migrants being attended to by emergency responders after falling from the US-Mexico border fence near Tijuana in a mass casualty incident.
At approximately 4 p.m. this past Saturday, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) responded to urgent reports from Border Patrol concerning a group of people who had fallen while attempting to climb the imposing border fence. Upon arrival at the scene, rescue crews discovered ten individuals who had sustained injuries from the fall. SDFD Battalion Chief Oscar Rodriguez reported that the injured migrants were promptly transported to local hospitals to receive medical attention for a range of injuries, including broken bones. The individuals involved in this mass casualty incident ranged in age from 18 to their mid-40s.
Image: A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle patrols the US-Mexico border fence in the San Diego-Tijuana sector, illustrating ongoing border security operations and challenges.
Data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveals a stark increase in fatalities related to falls from border fences since 2019, when the Trump Administration initiated the construction of taller barriers. Tragically, at least 34 migrants have died from falls at the border since 2019, a significant surge compared to only two deaths reported in the five years preceding the fence height increase. This mass casualty incident at the Mexico border underscores the heightened dangers migrants face due to these increased barriers.
Lilian Serrano, representing the Southern Borders Communities Coalition, emphasizes the ineffectiveness of the current border strategy, stating, “It’s not working. It’s not, and it will never work.”
CBP has issued repeated warnings to migrants contemplating illegal border crossings, stressing the life-threatening risks involved. “Don’t do it,” CBP urges. “When migrants cross the border illegally, they put their lives in peril. The terrain along the border is extreme, the weather is severe, and the miles of desert migrants must hike after crossing the border in many areas are unforgiving.” These dangers contribute to incidents of mass casualties at the Mexico border.
Furthermore, CBP cautions against the deceptive tactics employed by smugglers who falsely claim the border is open to exploit vulnerable migrants for financial gain. These smugglers often abandon migrants in remote and hazardous locations, exacerbating the risks they face.
However, Serrano argues that the dangers of crossing illegally are often perceived as less severe than the dire circumstances migrants are fleeing. “People will continue to come as long as migrants don’t have anywhere else to go,” Serrano stated. “As long as people are being forced to leave their homes, people will continue to take very dangerous routes to make it to our country looking for safety.”
Serrano advocates for a more comprehensive approach to migration management, emphasizing the urgent need to expand safe and legal pathways for migrants seeking entry into the U.S. The recent mass casualty incident at the Mexico border serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing challenges at the border and the pressing need for effective and humane solutions.
