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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 2022, CBP components conducted a combined 2,766,582 enforcement actions across the United States. From these enforcement actions, CBP OPR reviewed 171 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.

FY 22 CBP-Related Deaths by Custodial Classification. Total Incidents by classification pie chart of in custody deaths, not in custody, and not in custody/not reportable

 

CBP-Related Deaths: Incident Types

CBP-Related Deaths by Incident Types


For additional information and more detailed data regarding the OPR data, please see the FY2022 CBP-Related Deaths Report. For further additional information, please read the Notification and Review Procedures for Certain Deaths and Deaths in Custody.

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 Southwest Border Deaths by Discoverer

Discoverer FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
USBP 201 226 200 448 635
Other* 80 74 54 120 260
Totals 281 300 254 568 895


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

USBP Southwest Border Deaths by Gender

Gender FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Female 15 28 22 101 151
Male 164 178 148 364 563
Unknown 102 94 84 103 181
Totals 281 300 254 568 895

 

USBP Southwest Border Deaths by Age Group

Age Group FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
0 - 17 4 8 7 8 17
18 - 25 44 43 46 110 129
26 - 35 39 53 42 114 176
36 - 45 32 40 27 75 105
46 - 55 9 12 9 37 51
56 and Older 2 3 6 13 16
Unknown 151 141 117 211 401
Totals 281 300 254 568 895

 

USBP Southwest Border Deaths by Nationality

Nationality FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Angola 0 0 0 0 2
Bangladesh 2 1 0 0 0
Brazil 1 1 0 4 1
China 0 1 0 1 1
Colombia 1 0 0 2 6
Costa Rica 0 0 0 0 2
Cuba 0 0 0 4 9
Dominican Republic 0 3 0 0 3
Ecuador 2 6 4 12 6
El Salvador 8 7 2 19 24
Ghana 0 0 0 0 1
Guatemala 20 21 11 32 95
Haiti 0 0 0 0 1
Honduras 14 16 11 30 62
India 0 1 0 0 1
Jamaica 0 0 0 0 1
Mexico 117 124 136 334 415
Nicaragua 1 2 0 4 7
Peru 1 0 0 0 2
Russia 0 0 0 0 2
Senegal 0 0 0 0 1
Syria 0 0 0 0 1
Venezuela 0 0 1 1 7
Uruguay 0 0 0 0 1
Unknown 114 117 89 125 244
Totals 281 300 254 568 895

 

USBP Southwest Border Deaths Reported by Sector

Sector FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Rio Grande Valley Sector 96 69 58 130 212
Laredo Sector 69 78 57 75 79
Del Rio Sector 20 38 34 100 256
Big Bend Sector 10 3 15 39 31
El Paso Sector 6 20 10 39 71
Tucson Sector 58 61 43 78 142
Yuma Sector 1 7 7 30 52
El Centro Sector 17 17 17 45 14
San Diego Sector 4 7 13 32 38
Totals 281 300 254 568 895

 

USBP Southwest Border Death by Type

Type of Death FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Environmental Exposure-Heat 95 110 104 219 365
Environmental Exposure-Cold 28 7 7 21 37
Train-Related 0 0 1 1 3
Motor-Vehicle-Related 5 11 9 41 45
Water-Related 54 66 41 78 172
Other1 36 21 20 86 99
Undetermined2 37 60 42 73 43
Skeletal Remains3 26 25 30 49 131
Totals 281 300 254 568 895


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

USBP Southwest Border Rescue Incidents by Sector

Sector FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Rio Grande Valley Sector 345 184 138 508 719
Laredo Sector 278 310 317 568 493
Del Rio Sector 60 108 104 906 1,192
Big Bend Sector 27 13 66 190 113
El Paso Sector 10 20 4 526 375
Tucson Sector 574 570 423 164 2,300
Yuma Sector 10 23 35 137 211
El Centro Sector 9 30 69 158 279
San Diego Sector 13 16 40 266 1,430
Totals 1,326 1,274 1,196 3,423 7,112

 

USBP Southwest Border Number of People Rescued

Sector FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Rio Grande Valley Sector 1,623 794 304 949 1,175
Laredo Sector 1,509 2,453 3,549 7,109 6,491
Del Rio Sector 114 480 202 2,096 2,695
Big Bend Sector 71 45 150 748 438
El Paso Sector 17 40 12 688 493
Tucson Sector 926 930 774 233 3,507
Yuma Sector 20 82 114 424 346
El Centro Sector 14 78 171 328 405
San Diego Sector 25 19 60 282 6,525
Totals 4,319 4,921 5,336 12,857 22,075

 

USBP Southwest Border Rescues by Type

Rescue Type FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Environmental Exposure-Heat 480 380 458 1,664 3,130
Environmental Exposure-Cold 56 64 56 317 547
Water-Related 53 239 206 136 190
Other 547 444 319 1,076 2,997
Motor-Vehicle-Related 188 138 152 209 236
Train-Related 6 9 9 22 12
Totals 1,330 1,274 1,200 3,424 7,112

 

USBP Southwest Border: Number of People Rescued by Type

Rescue Type FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022
Environmental Exposure-Heat 1,209 924 1,159 3,760 5,634
Environmental Exposure-Cold 118 132 139 961 1,009
Water-Related 86 742 384 249 451
Other 945 768 631 1,713 9,445
Motor-Vehicle-Related 1,938 2,343 2,979 5,999 5,490
Train-Related 23 12 44 175 46
Totals 4,319 4,921 5,336 12,857 22,075
Last Modified: Mar 29, 2024