Death on the Rio Grande

EAGLE PASS, Texas — The surge of migrants to the United States through Eagle Pass, Texas in December of 2023 yielded the deaths of thousands, many of whom are still being identified today. Men, women and children are dying from dehydration, drowning and fatal falls from the border wall on their journey to the U.S., according to Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantu and Statista.  

“These are human lives that we’re dealing with,” said Judge English Cantu. “We want to make sure that we are giving them the same amount of respect that any other regular U.S. citizen would receive in this case.”  

The journey through Piedras Negras, Coahuila into Eagle Pass, Texas has been a common route taken by migrants in the last year. Since Piedras Negras is controlled by the Mexican government, it has become one of the safest ports of entry into the U.S. through Mexico, according to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber. However, safety while trekking through Mexico is only a part of the journey. Once migrants reach the border, new challenges and danger awaits.  

If migrants traverse privately-owned Texas ranchland, many drop their belongings to prevent identification. Roughly 30 miles north of the border on highway 57, one Texas rancher has made his position on immigration clear to passers-by. Over 85 backpacks left by migrants are hung on several panels of chain link fencing a few feet off the road. A small, paved inlet lies in front of the fence creating a drive-through for migrant smugglers heading north on highway 57. Before 10 a.m. on a Wednesday in April, five vehicles had already used this drop-off spot to unload migrants on their way into the U.S., according to Border Patrol stationed between La Prior and Eagle Pass. The number of backpacks left on ranches and roads could span from that drop-off location all the way to Eagle Pass, according to Border Patrol.     

Immigration through Eagle Pass has slowed since December of 2023 when over 250,000 migrants crossed into the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. Now, anywhere from 180 to 200 people are crossing per day through Eagle Pass, according to Judge English Cantu. Migrants are still dying on their journey across the Rio Grande, but in fewer numbers as the surge slows. Dehydration and exhaustion are often the cause of migrant deaths on private ranches. In 2022, the most common cause of death reported by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol was environmental exposure to heat. Shortly following were water-related deaths.  

“Some of them have documentation on them, others’ get washed away,” said Judge English Cantu.  

When unidentified remains are found, local law enforcement works in tandem with the Texas State University system and the international DNA database to identify the deceased. If a body goes unclaimed, several local funeral homes offer their services to provide the person with a proper burial.  

Rito Vadel, funeral director at Vadel Funeral Home, offers funeral services to those who have died and have not been retrieved by a loved one. Vadel recently memorialized a mother and child who both drowned on the Rio Grande. The two were found on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande shoreline with the child strapped to her mother’s chest.  

While deaths are declining from a lack of local crossings, the county is still undertaking the cost of identifying the remains and providing funeral services.   

“From the medical examiner’s office to the funeral home, we’re looking at about $4,800,” said Judge English Cantu. “From February to now, we’re looking at $28,890 total, and this is just two months.”

Many Eagle Pass citizens are concerned about the deaths in their city as a result of immigration. State and local authorities were overwhelmed not only with border security, but with the deaths of migrants crossing the border in 2023. The militarization of Shelby Park has deterred migrants from crossing at this location, which in turn has limited injury and death.  

“As a democrat, I’m not in agreement with everything that Governor Abbott does,” said Judge English Cantu. “But, at the end of the day, if that message would not have been sent, we would still have this problem.”  

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This project was created through a journalism class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies Department. This work was made possible through the support of MPC Endowment Ltd., the philanthropic affiliate of the Milwaukee Press Club.