On my first day in Del Rio, the max temperature was 103 degrees. That was April 11.
Yesterday, I spent the day with Sergeant Juan Maldonado, an officer in the Texas Department of Public Safety. He told me that going into the summer, 103 is merely “hot,” not even “really hot.”
State troopers like Maldonado are working together with Border Patrol, local law enforcement along the border, and private citizens to shore up weak spots on the border as part of Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
The number of migrants turning themselves in for asylum has overwhelmed Border Patrol, leaving much of the rest of the border unattended. Operation Lone Star, though fraught with budgetary issues, is seeking to stop migrants sneaking through neglected areas. Sometimes DPS detains migrants seeking asylum and brings them to Border Patrol. They also help migrants in need of medical care while crossing the border.
“If the migrant needs help, it is our duty to provide service to an individual regardless of the nationality. If they need medical treatment, we will summon medical treatment . . . a lot of our troopers have first aid kits.
“They’re humans like we are.”
One of the biggest medical problems they encounter is dehydration. “[Migrants] will be dehydrated,” he told me. He shared that migrants will more often cross the Rio Grande early in the morning to avoid the heat. Maldonado shared that his officers have had to call EMS multiple times, “especially with hot temperatures.”
“[Law enforcement officers] will give the individual water and snacks to hold them over until they get the right medical treatment provided from medical services”
Sometimes help comes too late. Maldonado shared that there have already been multiple heat-related deaths this year.
With the Biden administration intending to lift Title 42 — a public-health mandate and the only current form of border control — in late May, the number of border crossings will rise dramatically. Already, claims for asylum are reaching critical levels despite the use of Title 42. Lifting the order in May coincides with the scorching summer temperatures in south Texas.
According to averages from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Del Rio, Texas — one of the border cities in south Texas — has an average high of 84 degrees in April. That rises to 89 in May. By June, when Title 42 will be fully abolished, the average temperature will be 95 degrees. July and August have an average of 97 degrees.
Del Rio is particularly dry as well. During my time reporting from south Texas, I’ve had to substantially increase my water intake because of the heat and lack of humidity.
Crossings already average at 7,100 a day. CBP has started rehearsing for situations with up to 18,000 daily crossings when Title 42 is repealed on May 23.
On top of heat-related medical issues, migrants will face a harrowing journey where risk of trafficking, assault, and extortion are high.
When I asked about the lifting of Title 42, Sergeant Maldonado answered that “any law that can help the federal agencies do their job would be great.”
For now, law enforcement will continue to adapt to the situation, helping migrants in need. “We want to provide that service and of course it’s our duty to provide that service for them.”