A family's death trying to cross the U.S. border hasn't deterred others — and more are taking the risk

Almost a year after a family from India froze to death near the international border in southern Manitoba, similar cases of people walking over to the U.S. are on the rise — but they involve people from a different country.

Since the tragic deaths of the Patel family in January 2022, monthly incidents on the other side of Manitoba's international border have risen from eight to 30 in November, the most recent month for which complete data is available from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That's similar to the number seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deaths of three-year-old Dharmik Patel; his 11-year-old sister, Vihangi Patel; and their parents, 37-year-old Vaishali Patel and 39-year-old Jagdish Patel put a spotlight on human smuggling operations involving Indian migrants using Canada as a stopover before illegally crossing south. 

But a growing proportion of people caught walking over the border are now coming from Mexico. In November, Mexicans made up almost three-quarters of incidents in the Grand Forks sector.

The number of Mexicans crossing into Canada to seek asylum has also spiked recently, as many flee their homes in search of jobs and safety. But statistics show most applicants from that country are rejected.

While flying to Canada just to walk back down into the U.S. is a long trip, some say it's becoming more common for several reasons.

And in two recent cases involving Mexican migrants walking into North Dakota, authorities discovered the alleged smugglers before their trips were complete. Court documents revealed how those journeys mirrored the Patels' — and the ways they turned out differently.

One advocate said the increase in Mexicans crossing the northern border of the U.S. may be partly due to increased security measures along the country's southern boundary and a harsher detention system for those caught trying to cross in recent years.

"The Mexican border with the U.S. has been militarized for decades now…. I'm not surprised that people will try other ways to arrive [in] the U.S.," said Maru Mora Villalpando, a community organizer and founder of La Resistencia, a grassroots organization that works with detained migrants in Washington state.

Those changes made it harder to cross certain parts of the southern border, she said, forcing people to instead travel through dangerous parts of the desert — or try their luck up north.

The increase in northern crossings may also be partly due to Canada lifting a visa requirement for Mexican travellers in 2016, said Kathryn Siemer, acting patrol agent in charge of Pembina Border Patrol station in North Dakota.

"I think we're still seeing some of the repercussions of that, where it's easier to fly into Canada and then cross into the United States as opposed to trying to come north through the Mexico border," Siemer said.

Matthew Dearth, a Grand Forks lawyer representing an alleged smuggler charged in connection with one of the most recent cases in North Dakota, said more people are getting desperate enough — as the U.S. government fails to act on immigration reform — to risk potentially severe criminal penalties for their vision of a better future.

"They're going to do whatever they can do to try to get into the United States. Because they have family members here. They have opportunity here. It's safe," said Dearth, who's originally from Winnipeg.