More Mexican nationals are dying along the U.S.-Mexico border between the San Diego and Tijuana regions in their attempt to enter the U.S. than in previous years, according to new data from the Mexican Consulate in San Diego.
From October 2021 through September 2022, at least 46 Mexican nationals died in their attempt to cross the border between the two regions. That’s up from 34 in the previous twelve months and 11 in the year before that. The data from the consulate runs from October to September, aligning with the federal fiscal year.
Dehydration, drownings and border wall-related fatalities all account for the increases in deaths. The majority of injuries documented were related to falls from the U.S.-Mexico border wall and ranged from brain damage to broken shoulders, backs and legs.
Carlos González Gutiérrez, consul general of Mexico in San Diego, discouraged Mexican migrants from attempting to cross the border without proper documentation.
“Undocumented Mexican nationals willing to cross to the U.S. in between ports of entry, should be aware of deceitful human smugglers who distort reality, create false expectations, and expose migrants to severe injuries or death,” González Gutiérrez said in a press release.
The increase in deaths is accompanied by record breaking migration numbers to the U.S. over the past few years. In fiscal year 2022, the southwest land border, which includes the border along California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, saw more than 2.4 million migrant arrivals.
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