The influx of migrants has escalated significantly under the Biden administration compared to the previous. Despite the treacherous and dangerous trip north that it is, many overlook the risks and are willing to make it no matter the method of entry. 

Traditional border crossings along the southern U.S. border are still common, but now many use the Pacific Ocean to get into California. Another method for those coming from Central and South America is for as many as 100 people to pack themselves into sweltering trailers with children in hopes of reaching American soil. 

As of late however, many of these trailers have had fatal consequences. On June 27, more than 50 migrants were found dead in an abandoned trailer on the side of the road in the sweltering San Antonio heat. More died after being found, further revealing the dangers of not just migrating over, but putting one’s life in a coyote’s or human smuggler’s hands. 

In what was considered the deadliest human smuggling event in modern U.S. history, a similar event occurred on Thursday, July 28 in the steamy and muggy state of Veracruz, Mexico, which can exceed 90% humidity. 

More than 94 migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala were forced to break out of a trailer to avoid suffocation and heat exhaustion after the driver fled. It is not known at the moment how long they were in the trailer before breaking out. According to the Associated Press, a much larger group of migrants escaped and fled the scene. The 94 migrants at the scene who broke out were assisted by locals from the nearby town of Acayucan, who heard yells and banging on the trailer. The migrants were then turned over to immigration authorities. 

The head of the state migrant attention office, Carlos Enrique Escalante, said many had to bust holes in the container to get out as well through the roof where some leapt off the top, leading to some non-life threatening injuries. No broken bones were reported. 

In what can be called a rather lucky outcome for many of the migrants in the trailer, it could have easily been another mass migrant casualty in a situation similar to the one in San Antonio just one month ago. As the number of migrants only increases, more of these kinds of events are becoming inevitable. 

After a meeting at the White House last month between Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President Joe Biden, the situation surrounding the influx of migrants and even the possibility of offering more work visas for migrants to be able to come over was discussed. 

In turn, it would solve some of the U.S.’s worker shortages and inflation potentially eliminate more of these dangerous situations migrants put themselves in because there is no other way. 

Additionally, whatever immigration method that exists currently takes too long and as a result, more migrants will do anything by any means necessary if it means getting into the country. For the situation to stop from further escalating, policy changes will have to be made, but with reform being the way it is, migrants will take their chances on whatever treacherous path is available to them.