GoKawiilMIT Tech Review, Times of San Diego map deaths near US border surveillance towers
A 15-month joint investigation by MIT Technology Review and Times of San Diego produced the first comprehensive map linking migrant deaths to US Customs and Border Protection's surveillance tower network along the US-Mexico border. Reporters reviewed thousands of pages of government records, conducted over 45 interviews, and analyzed cases dating back to 2015 to examine why fatalities cluster near towers built to detect and apprehend crossers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Border Patrol estimates more than 10,000 deaths since 2000, a number widely considered too low due to inconsistent recordkeeping and undiscovered remains. Mapping deaths against surveillance infrastructure raises questions about whether costly tracking technology is failing at its stated humanitarian and enforcement goals, or even inadvertently pushing migrants toward deadlier routes.
- First known comprehensive map connects migrant deaths to CBP surveillance tower locations since 2015.
- Investigation drew on thousands of government documents and over 45 interviews with officials, agents, and tech workers.
- Lack of standardized death-record protocols means the true border death toll likely exceeds official estimates.
Source: technologyreview.com — James O'Donnell, 2026-09-21
Published there as: “How we made the first comprehensive map of deaths along the US border’s “virtual wall””
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