New Mexico
Migrant deaths on New Mexico border rise ten fold
The number of migrant deaths in New Mexico near the U.S.-Mexico border has surged tenfold over the past two years compared with five years ago, alarming new figures have revealed.
According to the experts who handled the data, smuggling gangs are increasingly leading vulnerable migrants into perilous terrain including desert regions, canyons, and mountains west of El Paso, Texas, where surviving the tough conditions is impossible for many.
Recent data reveals that in the first eight months of 2024, 108 presumed migrants, predominantly from Mexico and Central America, were discovered dead near the border in New Mexico, often within just 10 miles of El Paso.
In contrast, only nine bodies were found in 2020 and ten in 2019, while 113 were recorded in 2023.
Morgan Lee/AP, file
Nearly half this year’s deceased migrants found in New Mexico were women, with the largest segment being females aged 20 to 29.
The reasons behind this spike in fatalities remain unclear, but experts attribute it to harsher treatment by smugglers and the selection of more dangerous routes amid extreme summer temperatures.
Heather Edgar, a forensic anthropologist with the University of New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator, said “Our reaction was sadness, horror, and surprise because it had been consistently low for as long as anyone can remember.”
According to Edgar, his office has been overwhelmed by the upsurge in migrants deaths, having been forced to recruit additional deputy medical investigators to handle the increase in numbers, which came on top of the usual workload of 2,500 forensic cases annually.
Susan Montoya Bryan/AP
As immigration and border security loom large in voters’ minds ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election, candidates have focused primarily on preventing migrant entry and deporting those already in the U.S.
However, the increase in deaths has raised urgent humanitarian concerns since smugglers began leading migrants through gaps in the fencing at Sunland Park and over low barriers near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry.
Adam Isacson, an analyst for the Washington Office on Latin America said “People are dying close to urban areas, in some cases just 1,000 feet from roads.”
He has called for more water stations, improved telecommunications, and enhanced rescue efforts.
In response to the surge, New Mexico officials are ramping up their crackdown on human smuggling networks, recently arresting 16 individuals and rescuing 91 trafficked people.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also deployed a surveillance blimp to monitor the migration corridor and set up movable radar towers for better detection.
Officials have introduced 30 new push-button beacons along remote border stretches in New Mexico and Texas to summon emergency medical help, in addition to installing over 500 placards with location coordinates directing migrants to call 911.
This summer, Border Patrol, responsible for securing nearly 6,000 miles of land borders, expanded its search and rescue operations, dispatching more patrols equipped with medical specialists. They have relocated beacons closer to areas where migrants are frequently found in distress.
Border Patrol reported nearly 1,000 rescues of migrants in New Mexico and Texas over the past year, a sharp increase from about 600 rescues the previous year.
Even while overall migration declines following the Biden administration’s major asylum restrictions, the number of deaths in New Mexico now rivals those in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, where 114 presumed border crossers were found dead during the same period this year, according to a mapping project by the nonprofit Humane Borders.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press
LAS CRUCES, N.M (KFOX14/CBS4) — A gun-tracking program that uses shell casings to connect shootings is already helping investigators link crimes in Doña Ana County, according to new numbers released by the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The effort is part of New Mexico’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which uses ballistic evidence such as shell casings to track guns believed to be used in multiple crimes. The program relies on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, a national database that compares ballistic evidence to determine whether shell casings may have come from the same weapon.
In April, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described how the technology can connect cases across jurisdictions.
“There may be a shooting that occurs in Deming that’s actually connected to a crime gun that’s recovered in Las Cruces. We may find shell casings in Silver City that are connected to something that happened in T or C,” Torrez said.
Four months into the program, the Department of Justice said 210 bullet casings have been analyzed in Doña Ana County. Those casings helped link 32 incidents to 13 guns.
Jordan Salas reports on New Mexico DOJ data: Shell-casing tracking links shootings in Doña Ana County (Credit: KFOX14)
Statewide, more than 700 casings have been entered into the system, connecting 74 shootings to 31 guns.
One person reacting to the numbers said, “That’s crazy. Honestly, all those shootings all coming from that little amount of weapons is crazy.”
New Mexico officials say the system is designed to help law enforcement share information faster and build cases more efficiently.
Also in April, Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart pointed to a local case she said the technology helped resolve quickly.
“We resolved a homicide with a suspect arrest in four days. We know that those casings may lead to another 1 or 2 incidents in another city,” Stewart said.
Some residents said the technology alone will not solve gun violence, but they see it as a step forward. One person said, “I mean, growing up, like hearing gunshots in the distance. That wasn’t something crazy. I have stories of, like, friends who’ve gone to parties that had guns go off there. So, yeah, I would say guns are a problem there.”
Another person said, “I would think that it’s a good thing. I’m personally like, just anything to help the gun crimes, you know?”
KFOX14/CBS4 contacted Las Cruces police and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to ask how the leads are being used in local investigations, but we are awaiting a response.
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- Who: New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez brought a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
- Why: The state claims Meta misrepresented harms to minors and created a public nuisance through its social media platforms.
- Where: The lawsuit is pending in New Mexico state court.
- How to get help: Has social media impacted the mental health of you or your child? You may qualify to join a social media lawsuit against the platform.
New Mexico’s attorney general is asking a state court to order Meta to pay approximately $3.7 billion to address what the state describes as a “public nuisance” caused by the company’s social media platforms.
The request comes after a jury previously found Meta misrepresented the risks its platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — pose to underage users. The jury also imposed a $375 million penalty in the first phase of the trial.
The case has now moved into a second phase, where the court will determine what additional remedies, if any, Meta must provide.
According to the state, the proposed $3.712 billion abatement plan would fund a 15-year effort to address the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms. The plan includes funding for public education, school resources, law enforcement support and mental health services for children affected by issues, such as online bullying and sexual exploitation.
“This request recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused,” counsel for the state argued in court.
The lawsuit alleges Meta concealed or downplayed the extent of harmful activity on its platforms while publicly portraying them as safe for younger users.
Meta disputes liability, challenges proposed abatement plan
Meta denies the allegations and argues there is no legal basis for the sweeping relief requested by the state.
Attorneys for the company contend the proposed abatement plan does not directly address or stop the alleged harmful conduct and instead seeks compensation for downstream effects.
“What no court has ever allowed … is payment for the downstream effects,” Meta’s counsel argued, describing the request as “damages masquerading as something else.”
The court is expected to hear additional testimony during the second phase of the trial before determining whether to approve any form of injunctive relief or financial remedies.
In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for mental health harms suffered by plaintiff Kaley G.M., who became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child, awarding $6 million in damages, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.
What do you think about the claims against Meta in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by Raul Torrez of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and Donald Migliori, Linda Singer, Michael Pendell and David Ackerman of Motley Rice LLC.
The Meta lawsuit is New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
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