MIGRANT INJURY AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF UNITED STATES BORDER POLICY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON MIGRANT HEALTH

Abstract

This literature review aims to synthesize material from a variety of sources, including journal articles, news articles, reports, and government sources into an accessible introduction to the research question: How is migrant border crossers’ health impacted by U.S. border policy and infrastructure? While federal border policy is examined, the geographical focus of this analysis is the Southwestern region of the U.S.-Mexico border, with many sources being based in or near Tucson, home to the University of Arizona. Through an examination of the 1994 Prevention through Deterrence policy and the subsequent development of current border enforcement infrastructure, this thesis strives to answer the question: What does the border itself look like today? The next section illustrates why people attempt to cross the border, even with all its dangers, by describing the asylum process and its shortcomings, along with ambiguous recent border policies of exclusion and expulsion, including MPP and Title 42. Next, the most common injuries sustained by unauthorized border crossers are described. These include traumatic fall injuries from 18-30 foot border walls, and dehydration and hyperthermia resulting from exposure in the vast Sonoran Desert. Finally, the politics of emergency response to injury and death are briefly explored. This review concludes that U.S. border policy is a form of structural violence resulting in migrant injury, illness, and death. Future research should examine the mental health impacts of exclusion and expulsion, as well as the long-term costs associated with migrant injury and illness.