In 1994, the United States Border Patrol adopted Prevention Through Deterrence, which fortified official ports of entry and their surrounding areas, funneling undocumented migrants into remote regions of the most extreme desert biomes on the planet.
We are studying physiological stress of humans attempting to make these harrowing journeys to better understand the biological costs of political decision making.
Prevention Through Deterrence is a set of policies designed to deter the illegal crossing of its southern border with Mexico. These policies involved fortifying official ports of entry and their surrounding areas, funneling migrants into remote areas of the Sonoran Desert - one of the most extreme desert biomes on the planet. In the decades since, thousands of migrants have perished in the desert attempting to cross the border.
98% of total undocumented migrant apprehensions in the United States occur along the southwest border each year.
However, the physiological challenges faced by humans attempting to traverse this desert terrain remains largely unstudied.
As the climate continues to warm, political, economic and climatic factors will lead to increased human migration worldwide as people seek means to make a living for themselves and their families. In concert, climate warming will make travel across natural areas to reach other countries more hazardous and physiologically stressful.
Manuscript for this project is in the works.
We are excited to share our findings with you soon. In the meantime, check our current publications:
