The Geography of Migrant Death: Implications for Policy and Forensic Science

Abstract

This chapter examines US border policy and the changing “geography of death,” a process by which migrants are funneled into increasingly clandestine routes and relationships. But this aspect of dangerous geography is not the full story. The authors explore the many ramifications of geography as the locations of migrant deaths have shifted over time and as the geographic origins of border crossers have changed. It also explores the effects of border policy on the ground and in local places where deaths have been clustered. We aim to unpack the many ramifications of border enforcement’s inextricable relationship with geography as a deadly force multiplier.

Keywords: migrant deaths, sociology, anthropology, archeology, forensic anthropology, border enforcement, unauthorized migration, immigration, geospatial, geography, death