In the New Mexico desert, volunteers find a migrant graveyard at the edge of the American Empire
In the New Mexico desert, volunteers find a migrant graveyard at the edge of the American Empire
- January 7, 2026
- Leo Chavez, anthropology, Salt Lake City Weekly, Jan. 7, 2026
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According to U.S. Border Patrol data, there were 176 migrant deaths in the El Paso Corridor in 2024. That number is considered conservative, because the U.S. Border Patrol doesn’t actively search for migrant remains. … For Payan, the rising death toll traces back to the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, when the U.S. began bolstering the border infrastructure, which caused more migrants to attempt the crossing in the desert. “If we build up the infrastructure then there are more deaths,” Payan said. “Policies have consequences.” … Dr. Leo Chavez, an anthropology professor at UC Irvine, said none of this is new. “Nativism is something we have experienced throughout our history—it waxes and wanes,” he said. “The basic fear is the same—somehow, they will change who we are.”
For the full story, please visit https://www.cityweekly.net/news/in-the-new-mexico-desert-volunteers-find-a-migrant-graveyard-at-the-edge-of-the-american-empire-5a1e1205.
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