Role of academic and other community organizations in reducing immigrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border

While the U.S. has witnessed an increase in federal and state legislation to reduce undocumented immigration, these efforts have only succeeded in militarizing the border and forcing migrants to cross the harsh desert. As a result, over 2,000 men, women, and children have died since 1994 while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Immigration is often discussed in a political context; however, it involves other issues rarely considered outside this framework, one being the public health impact of deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Global Health Alliance (GHA), a student organization dedicated to improving the well-being of diverse populations, organized a symposium to recognize border deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border as a major public health crisis. Main outcomes of the symposium included: 1) the need to address the root causes of immigration; 2) recognizing that border security and immigration policies influence border deaths; and 3) encouraging a human-right's based approach to address migration and border deaths.

As a result, GHA crafted guidelines to be shared with other public health institutions, colleges, and community-serving organizations on the development of policy/position statements regarding border deaths. This presentation will focus on the role academic and community organizations can have in reducing the number of immigrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border using public health and human rights approaches. This is particularly relevant to universities and organizations located in the American Southwest. Furthermore, it will address the role students can take in mobilizing communities to address the critical issue of border deaths.