Mennonite Central Committee

A key mission of the Migrant Trail is to raise awareness about the deaths in the borderlands. Some stories may be collected, but many do not live to tell the tale. Migrants die as a result of auto accidents, dehydration, and injuries sustained while being exposed to the harsh desert elements. Below are some examples of those who are unable to share their stories with us.

Name: Santos Elias Damian-Felipe
Gender/Age: M, 25
Country of origin: Guatemala
Location discovered: 6 miles northwest of Bigfields Village
Date discovered: Feb. 17, 2008
Cause of death: Probable hyperthermia

Name: Consuelo Odilia Oxlaj Sacche
Gender/Age: F, 22
Country of origin: Guatemala
Location discovered: I-10
Date discovered: Feb. 8, 2008
Cause of death: Multiple injuries due to blunt force trauma

Name: Robert Carlos Lopez-Moreno
Gender/Age: M, 15
Country of origin: Mexico
Location discovered: Yuma Regional Medical Center Emergency Room
Date discovered: October 7, 2007
Cause of death: Hemoperitoneum, due to liver laceration

Name: Felicitas Martínez Barradas
Gender/Age: F, 29
Country of origin: Mexico
Location discovered: Sasabe, AZ
Date discovered: July 5, 2007
Cause of death: Heat exhaustion while crossing the AZ desert with her cousin

* Data obtained from the Latin America Working Group (LAWG).