Dozens of Migrants Found Dead in South Texas County
Dozens of migrants are turning up dead in the ranch lands of Brooks County, Texas.
Local ABC affiliate KRGV News reports that this year 41 bodies have been found in the county. In 2014, the number of dead migrants found there reached 57.
The high death rate of migrants in the region is tied to the geography of the county. Although not exactly a border crossing area, Brooks County is located 40 miles inland from the Rio Grande.
The likelihood of migrants dying on ranch lands in Brooks County is high enough that volunteers, made up of members of the Texas State Guard and the Border Brotherhood of Texas, routinely join forces on weekends to scout the land for migrants who are often dropped off before reaching the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint, given a few supplies and then told to walk the rest of the way.
Breitbart reports that Brooks County Chief Deputy Benny Martinez is thankful for the help he receives from the volunteers. “Without the help of our volunteers, many more people would likely die in these ranch lands,” he explains, “The weather is harsh, whether it is winter or summer and people simply cannot survive out there if they get lost.”
Landowners in Brooks Country say that they are tired of being associated with the number of migrants found dead in Brooks County. Susan Kibbe, a woman who represents the majority of the landowners in the area, says the property owners do not wish to be blamed for the fate of migrants trespassing on their land. “We just think the landowner shouldn’t take the blame on this,” said Kibbe said, who is the acting director of the South Texas Property Rights Association.
“Somehow the U.S. is blamed for their deaths, or ranchers are blamed for their deaths, or others are blamed for their deaths, explains Kibble, adding, “ When they know when they come into the country illegally, they’re taking this chance.”
Kibbe is clear that although the landowners she represents have no problem granting access to Border Patrol and the local sheriff’s office, no one else has the right to be on the ranch land.
The South Texas Property Rights Association wants congress to take care of this deadly situation by securing the border, enforcing the current laws, reforming immigration laws and creating a guest worker program. Kibbe believes that taking these steps would keep migrants from dying. “I think if they want to help these people, they need to go down and help them in their countries,” said Kibbe.
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