Dying to work: The risks from injury and death on the migrant's journey to work in the United States

Foreign-born workers now account for 1 in every 7 workers in the US. Growth in the immigrant workforce is projected to continue to increase. The majority are Hispanic workers from Latin America who experience a disproportionately high injury rate. Among workers born in Latin America, the risk of fatal injury is 40% higher than the risk for the average US-born worker. In addition to injuries and deaths on the job, another important aspect of occupational health and safety are the risks from injury and death that workers face during migration from their country to the US. In 2007, the bodies of 400 persons who died while crossing the US-Mexico border in search of better economic opportunities were recovered. The leading causes of death were heat stroke, dehydration, and hypothermia. This presentation will give an overview of the death risks of migrant workers and review linkages between changes in US border enforcement strategies enacted since the mid-1990s and fatalities occurring among undocumented Mexican migrants. The presentation will offer a context for other session presenters to delve into this public health and humanitarian crisis on the US-Mexico border.