DAILY BEAST / AP: …The U.S. government recorded 307 deaths in the 2014 fiscal year that ended in September – the lowest number since 1999. In 2013, the number of deaths was 445.
“At best, what the Border Patrol is accomplishing is a geographical shift in where these deaths are happening – rather than adequately responding to the scale of the crisis,” said Geoffrey Boyce, a border enforcement and immigration researcher at the University of Arizona and a volunteer with the Tucson-based nonprofit No More Deaths.
Some of the rescues are made with the help of beacons that were activated 142 times this year. The beacons are 30-feet tall, solar-powered and have sun reflectors and blue lights on top that are visible for 10 miles. The beacons also have signs in three languages directing users to push a red button that sends out a signal for help. Agents respond usually within 10 minutes to an hour… (more)
