Reflections on Migrant Deaths in San Antonio

The Carolina Latinx Center has always and will continue to champion the rights of all migrants. In a summer that is full of challenging news, we cannot look away while migrants are left to die in its heat. This cannot be considered normal.

On June 27th, approximately 51 migrants were found dead in the back of an abandoned trailer in San Antonio, Texas. Many of these deaths are believed to be a result of extreme heat and dehydration and this painful event once more serves as a reminder of the humanitarian crisis occurring at the US-Mexico border.

This is the deadliest human smuggling incident in recent years. Sixteen remain hospitalized and are fighting for their lives including four children. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said 22 of the dead were Mexican nationals, while seven were from Guatemala and two from Honduras. The nationalities of the remaining 19 people had yet to be confirmed.

We mourn these and the countless lives lost due to a broken immigration system. We are tired of losing members of our community during the migration journey. A journey that many of us in this country know and have experienced for a better future. These people’s stories, opportunities, and dreams were cut short.

In Solidarity,

Carolina Latinx Center Leadership Team