EAGLE PASS, TX – This week, Texas authorities recovered the bodies of two migrants, one of them a 3-year-old child, who are suspected to have drowned while trying to cross the U.S. southern border. The border has recently seen a surge in illegal crossings, reaching nearly record-breaking numbers.
On Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety found a 3-year-old migrant boy in the Rio Grande, close to the border town of Eagle Pass. The department had received reports of a child being carried away by the river’s current, stated agency spokesperson Ericka Brown. The boy, who was reportedly traveling with his family, was declared dead at a local hospital.
The following morning, Texas state troopers in Eagle Pass spotted another body submerged in the Rio Grande, according to Brown. The Maverick County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the death. The sheriff’s office has yet to respond to requests for additional information.
Both bodies were discovered north of the floating barriers that Texas has installed in the Rio Grande to discourage migrant crossings. Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered Texas to relocate the buoys to the riverbank in response to a lawsuit filed by the Biden administration. However, this ruling has been temporarily halted by a federal appeals court while the case is under review, allowing Texas to maintain the marine barriers.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, advocates, and the Biden administration, argue that Texas’ buoys pose a risk to migrants by forcing them to navigate deeper parts of the river, increasing the likelihood of drowning. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, however, insists that the barriers are necessary to deter illegal entries, citing what he perceives as inadequate federal action to secure the southern border.