What is the U.S. governments official stance on the border deaths?
Spicuzza: The U.S. government has condemned the deaths, but has made little progress in preventing them. U.S. officials usually blame coyotes [smugglers] for the increasing fatalities. They say coyotes are recklessly risking people’s lives. But our border problems are much bigger than smugglers alone. LoMonaco: Migrants see coyotes as guides — people who help them get across. Without them, migrants would still cross, but they’d be on their own. The U.S. government purposefully pushed these people into the desert when they closed off the urban crossing points. Border Patrol used to say exactly that in their promotional videos. They’d say the rough terrain would act as a natural barrier and people would stop crossing. They didn’t, of course. Instead, they turned to coyotes to help them get across. So to blame these deaths on coyotes is a bit off mark.
