By: Real America News Updated 22 Jun 2022, 16: 57 pm EDT
At least nine immigrants have died in irrigation canals in El Paso, Texas, in their attempt to cross the border, according to a report by the organization Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR).
Immigration authorities reported that, so far, five bodies have been recovered, without specifying whether the number of victims are those reported by BNHR.
“We want to express our condolences to the families of those migrants who perished seeking refuge at the border,” said Fernando García, executive director of Border Network for BNHR. “These deaths are the result of racist and xenophobic immigration policies…Migrant deaths have increased to 3 or 4 per day
, which represents approximately one thousand deaths per year”.
The organization asks the administration of President Joe Biden to “be held accountable” for continuing to use policies, such as the Title 22 and Remain in Mexico (MPP), initiated during the Donald Trump administration.
“These policies unnecessarily endanger vulnerable immigrants and go against the international obligation of the United States to protect those who seek refuge,” García added.
The group described Operation Lone Star, promoted by the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, as a “white supremacist” policy.
“The public is not paying enough attention to what is happening at the border. These are not expendable lives, and the lack of action is clear proof of the dehumanization of migrants,” Garcia lamented. “The belief that border closures and deterrence practices will deter migrants from crossing the border is wrong. Migrants continue to cross, they do so in dangerous places and die in extraordinary numbers”, added García.
Tonight, EPFD Water Rescue Crews recovered a body at Paisano/Executive; the 4th one this weekend.
The body and the scene were turned over to USBP and SPPD for investigation. This is the 16th water rescue/body recovery incident in 2022 within EPFD jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/skr3XAHhI4
– Enrique Dueñas (@EPFDEnrique) June 18, 2022
In the early hours of Sunday, the El Paso Fire Department responded to the emergency call from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Paisano and Executive area, where they found two bodies.
In the early hours of Sunday, the El Paso Fire Department responded to the emergency call from the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP, for its acronym in English) in the area of Paisano and Executive, where they found two bodies.
Later, this Sunday, firefighters responded to another call for a possible body in the canals where they found another person dead.
Meanwhile, El County Sheriff’s deputies Paso recovered the body of a man from a canal in San Elizario at noon on Sunday.
On Saturday morning, rescuers found the body of a woman about 18 years in another canal, near a water treatment plant on Southside Road, according to information from the digital media Border Report.
The Border Patrol in the El Paso sector had issued a recent warning about the dangers of crossing border channels.
In a statement they warned that “the channels are more deeper than they appear and often have significant water current at this time of year as water is released from upstream reservoirs for irrigation purposes.”
He also encouraged the public to message people on both sides of the border to avoid entering the channels for any reason. “The risk is not worth it,” he said.
Last week, Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley (Texas) sector, saved from drowning 20 migrants who tried to cross the Rio Grande border .
With information from EFE