Crossing the border illegally becomes increasingly difficult with each passing year due to new and improved technology. In an effort to evade Border Patrol, would-be migrants find themselves further out in the Sonoran Desert, away from towns commonly patrolled by agents.
Although there is a reduced presence of Border Patrol, the dreadful dangers of the desert increase dramatically. One route in particular, El Camino del Diablo (“the Devil’s Highway”), is known as being the deadliest migrant trail in North America.
Located in southwestern Arizona between Tucson and Yuma, the Devil’s Highway has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 migrants within the last five years. If these individuals are fortunate enough to survive exposure to the elements as well as incapacitating thirst and heat exhaustion, they face the perils of unforgiving wildlife such as rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, scorpions, mountain lions, and bobcats.