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  4. Border Rescues and Mortality Data

Border Rescues and Mortality Data

Transnational criminal organizations continue to recklessly endanger the lives of individuals they smuggle for their own financial gain. Smuggling organizations often abandon migrants in remote and dangerous areas, where severe heat, exposure, and miles of unforgiving desert pose countless threats to migrants. Preventing the loss of life is core to our mission, and CBP personnel endeavor to rescue those in distress. Tragically, the number of deaths in these harsh environments is still too high.

Pursuant to Congressional reporting requirements, CBP tracks migrant deaths under two separate sets of criteria. CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) conducts independent oversight of in-custody and certain other CBP-related deaths. CBP and the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) also track southwest border (SWB) deaths, in conjunction with their Missing Migrant Program (MMP). CBP initiated the MMP in 2017 to prevent the deaths of migrants during their journey with signage, rescue beacons, and other tools to enable individuals in distress to contact agency personnel.

While CBP works hard to track this information as fully and accurately as possible, these data are not all encompassing. These numbers may differ from other organizations that track similar data.

In FY 2021, CBP components conducted a combined 1,956,519 enforcement actions across the United States. From these enforcement actions, CBP OPR reviewed 151 CBP-related deaths. The deaths were categorized into three categories: In Custody (Reportable), Not in Custody (Reportable), and Not in Custody (Not Reportable).
 


In Custody (Reportable)


  • Subject dies in the process of being physically detained by CBP
  • Subject dies after being detained or arrested or while being escorted to a CBP vehicle
  • Subject dies due to vehicle collision, is struck by a vehicle, or dies by any other means while being actively pursued by CBP
  • Subject dies due to actions of CBP while attempting to detain or arrest subject (e.g., struck by CBP vehicle)
  • Subject dies while being transported by, or in the custody of, a CBP contractor
  • Subject dies in a CBP holding facility or in route to a CBP holding facility
  • Subject dies as a result of any use of force by CBP personnel
  • Subject dies while undergoing secondary inspection or detained by CBP personnel for any other reason
  • Subject dies after being admitted to a medical facility while still in CBP’s legal custody

Not in Custody (Reportable)


  • Subject dies while attempting to elude CBP but not being actively pursued (including falls from border barriers)
  • Subject dies before, during, or after primary or outbound inspection at a port of entry (unless referred to secondary or due to use of force)
  • Subject dies before, during, or after primary inspection at a USBP checkpoint (unless referred to secondary or due to use of force)
  • Subject that is not detained or arrested dies while being transported in a CBP-owned vehicle or other conveyance with the sole purpose of obtaining immediate medical care
  • Subject dies while processing of import/export paperwork or while paying import/export fees

Not in Custody (Not Reportable)


  • Subject discovered in medical distress and dies in the field or in route to hospital (not in a CBP vehicle)
  • Subject discovered in medical distress and dies during initial lifesaving efforts at hospital
  • Remains discovered by CBP personnel
  • Discovery of deceased individuals by other agencies
  • Deaths resulting from an enforcement action in which CBP personnel did not participate
  • Subject found deceased by CBP personnel in connection with a search and rescue operation


CBP-Related Deaths: Incidents by Classification

Of note, the not in custody and not reportable deaths included in the OPR review, shown below, were only those involving decedents who are found in medical distress and who died during initial lifesaving efforts.

Total Incidents by classification pie chart of in custody deaths, not in custody, and not in custody/not reportable

 

CBP-Related Deaths: Incident Types

Classification by Incident Type


For additional information and more detailed data regarding the OPR data, please see the FY2021 CBP-Related Deaths Report. For further additional information, please read the Notification and Review Procedures for Certain Deaths and Deaths in Custody.

The USBP Missing Migrant Program (MMP) continues to expand partnerships with key stakeholders to improve tracking of reportable incidents. The MMP was implemented under the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2019 (P.L. 116–277). Through partnerships with federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, along with nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and foreign consular offices, USBP now has a standardized, active MMP in all nine USBP Southwest Border sectors.

The MMP’s statistics are pulled from designated target zones, which comprise 45 counties along the southwest border that are historical routes of travel for undocumented migrants. The MMP maintains the following criteria for decedents included in their report:

A suspected undocumented migrant who died:

  • In furtherance of an illegal entry,
  • Within a designated target zone, or
  • Whether or not USBP was involved directly;

or

A suspected undocumented migrant who died:

  • In furtherance of an illegal entry,
  • Outside of a designated target zone, or
  • If USBP was involved directly with the incident.

USBP SWB Deaths: Discoverer

Southwest Border Deaths by Discoverer

Discoverer

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

USBP

201

201

226

200

448

Other*

97

80

74

54

120

Totals

298

281

300

254

568


*Other includes discovery by federal, state, tribal, and local agencies other than CBP.
 

USBP SWB Deaths: Gender

Southwest Border Deaths by Gender

Gender

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Female

18

15

28

22

101

Male

151

164

178

148

364

Unknown

129

102

94

84

103

Totals

298

281

300

254

568

 

USBP SWB Deaths: Age Group

Southwest Border Deaths by Age Group

Age Group

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

0 - 17

9

4

8

7

8

18 - 25

29

44

43

46

110

26 - 35

43

39

53

42

114

36 - 45

30

32

40

27

75

46 - 55

6

9

12

9

37

56 and Older

2

2

3

6

13

Unknown

179

151

141

117

211

Totals

298

281

300

254

568

 

USBP SWB Deaths: Nationality

Southwest Border Deaths by Nationality

Nationality

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Bangladesh

1

2

1

0

0

Brazil

7

1

1

0

4

China

0

0

1

0

1

Colombia

0

1

0

0

2

Cuba

1

0

0

0

4

Dominican Republic

2

0

3

0

0

Ecuador

6

2

6

4

12

El Salvador

15

8

7

2

19

Guatemala

20

20

21

11

32

Honduras

10

14

16

11

30

India

0

0

1

0

0

Kazakhstan

1

0

0

0

0

Mexico

98

117

124

136

334

Nicaragua

1

1

2

0

4

Peru

0

1

0

0

0

Romania

1

0

0

0

0

Venezuela

0

0

0

1

1

Unknown

135

114

117

89

125

Totals

298

281

300

254

568

 

USBP SWB Deaths: Sector

Southwest Border Deaths Reported by Sector

Sector

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Rio Grande Valley Sector

104

96

69

58

130

Laredo Sector

84

69

78

57

75

Del Rio Sector

18

20

38

34

100

Big Bend Sector

3

10

3

15

39

El Paso Sector

8

6

20

10

39

Tucson Sector

73

58

61

43

78

Yuma Sector

2

1

7

7

30

El Centro Sector

2

17

17

17

45

San Diego Sector

4

4

7

13

32

Totals

298

281

300

254

568

 

USBP SWB Deaths: Death Type

Southwest Border Death by Type

Type of Death

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Environmental Exposure-Heat

68

95

110

104

219

Environmental Exposure-Cold

2

28

7

7

21

Train-Related

2

0

0

1

1

Motor-Vehicle-Related

2

5

11

9

41

Water-Related

91

54

66

41

78

Other1

51

36

21

20

86

Undetermined2

35

37

60

42

73

Skeletal Remains3

47

26

25

30

49

Totals

298

281

300

254

568


1 Type of death that doesn’t fall into one of the other stated categories to include, animal-related, homicide, suicide, etc.

2 A deceased subject is found, and the cause of death cannot be determined by the medical examiner

3 Only bones are discovered from a deceased individual, to include not a full set of bones.

The USBP SWB rescues data highlights the extraordinary number of resources USBP has dedicated to this humanitarian mission and to preventing the loss of life.
 

USBP SWB Rescues: Rescue Incidents by Sector

Number of Rescue Incidents by Sector

Sector

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Rio Grande Valley Sector

355

345

184

138

508

Laredo Sector

248

278

310

317

568

Del Rio Sector

50

60

108

104

906

Big Bend Sector

12

27

13

66

190

El Paso Sector

19

10

20

4

526

Tucson Sector

476

574

570

423

164

Yuma Sector

2

10

23

35

137

El Centro Sector

4

9

30

69

158

San Diego Sector

27

13

16

40

266

Totals

1,193

1,326

1,274

1,196

3,423

 

USBP SWB Rescues: Number of People by Sector

Number of People Rescued by Sector

Sector

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Rio Grande Valley Sector

1,191

1,623

794

304

949

Laredo Sector

1,242

1,509

2,453

3,549

7,109

Del Rio Sector

99

114

480

202

2,096

Big Bend Sector

26

71

45

150

748

El Paso Sector

44

17

40

12

688

Tucson Sector

757

926

930

774

233

Yuma Sector

6

20

82

114

424

El Centro Sector

4

14

78

171

328

San Diego Sector

48

25

19

60

282

Totals

3,417

4,319

4,921

5,336

12,857

 

USBP SWB Rescues: Rescues by Type

Number of Rescues by Type

Rescue Type

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Environmental Exposure-Heat

366

480

380

458

1,664

Environmental Exposure-Cold

49

56

64

56

317

Water-Related

54

53

239

206

136

Other

511

547

444

319

1,076

Motor-Vehicle-Related

215

188

138

152

209

Train-Related

0

6

9

9

22

Totals

1,195

1,330

1,274

1,200

3,424

 

USBP SWB Rescues: Number of People by Rescue Type

Number of People by Rescue Type

Rescue Type

FY 2017

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Environmental Exposure-Heat

725

1,209

924

1,159

3,760

Environmental Exposure-Cold

112

118

132

139

961

Water-Related

131

86

742

384

249

Other

829

945

768

631

1,713

Motor-Vehicle-Related

1,620

1,938

2,343

2,979

5,999

Train-Related

0

23

12

44

175

Totals

3,417

4,319

4,921

5,336

12,857

  • Last Modified: February 6, 2023