Oral

In 2007, 400 persons are reported to have died while crossing the US-Mexico border in search of better economic opportunities. The leading causes of death were heat stroke, dehydration, and hypothermia. This session will bring together several presenters to explore the linkages between changes in US border enforcement strategies in the post-1993 period and fatalities occurring among undocumented Mexican migrants. The frequency, location, and causes of migrant fatalities will be examined. The effects of rising death rates on migrants' propensity to migrate and choice of border-crossing strategy will be discussed. Participants will also discuss deficiencies in extant data sources and methods for documenting migrant fatalities. This session will feature several speakers and include an in-depth case study of US- Border Patrol's Tucson Sector on the consequences of the "Funnel Effect" created by U.S. border control policies initiated in the early l990's which purposefully funneled unauthorized workers away from previously popular crossing points in Texas and California. It will also include a case study of indigenous Mixtec migrants and their non-migrating counterparts residing in Oaxaca, Mexico and will assess high-risk border crossing experiences; family separation; documentation status; occupation; and access to healthcare. The data indicate that the migration experience can present definite risks to emotional health for both migrants and their non-migrating family members.

Session Objectives: Participants will be able to describe US border enforcement strategies and their effect on fatalities occurring among undocumented migrants. Participants will leave able to analyze occupational health and safety from a broader approach that includes the risks of migration. Participants will be able to identify specific examples of border enforcement efforts that highlight the effects of the strategies.