SAN ANTONIO – Friday marks one year since 12 migrants were found in a semitruck off Interstate 35 near Von Ormy in southwest Bexar County.
Emergency crews at the scene said the 10 men and two women were in good health. Law enforcement found them huddled together in the back of the stolen semitruck on July 19, 2023.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said the driver, 25-year-old Anthony Sanchez, was detained on the same day.
San Antonio nonprofits, such as the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, said the likelihood of future risky migrant crossings is high.
“Our border policies aren’t going to stop people from coming and seeking safety,” Javier Hidalgo, a legal director for RAICES, said. “Folks will get to that point of desperation where they’re going to take more and more risks.”
Hidalgo said migration patterns around the border could be affected by weather and political conditions.
Last month, President Joe Biden announced an executive order limiting asylum seekers, an action that has faced some backlash and legal challenges.
However, data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed that illegal border crossing arrests from Mexico dropped by 29% in June.
As the 2024 presidential election nears, Hidalgo said he wants humanity to be the focus of conversations and policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“It’s important that folks care and pay attention,” Hidalgo said. “‘Where do you allocate the resources, so that there is a safe and orderly processing of people right now?’”
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