Two undocumented immigrants were found dead recently at the same Texas ranch, evidence of what locals say is an increase of immigrants risking their lives to cross the border and seek refuge on private ranches.
The bodies were discovered on a 13,000-acre ranch in Brooks County, located close to 100 miles from the southern tip of Texas, CBS News reported. At least 37 bodies have been discovered so far this year, and as the weather gets warmer, more bodies are expected to be found.
"Somebody lost a loved one, you know, and some family member down there, wherever it was, doesn't even know that this guy died," Durham, who found the bodies in the last two weeks, told CBS News.
Those who smuggle immigrants force them to pass through ranches to avoid the county's federal checkpoint, which lies on a main highway. Between 15 and 20 people pass through the Brook County ranch every week, Durham said.
"They're not equipped to do the journey," Brooks County Deputy Chief Benny Martinez, who keeps track of the deaths, told the station. "They're told that it's quick, they're told that it's easy, and it's not. Not with this weather, not with the terrain.
"I just can't understand why we're letting this happen," Martinez said.
President Barack Obama arrived in Texas on Wednesday to discuss with local lawmakers a solution to the rise in immigrants illegally entering the U.S. Yet Texas ranchers say they have been dealing with undocumented crossings for years. A total of 300 bodies have been found in Brook County alone since 2011, according to CBS News.
At least 100 bodies are expected to be found this year. Law enforcement fear the deaths may continue until the political system intervenes.
"As long as this immigration reform issue doesn't have closure to it, they're going to keep coming," Martinez said.
