A border health crisis at the United States-Mexico border: an urgent call to action
In January 2017, President Trump signed the Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements executive order directing the fortification of the United States–Mexico border to deter further unauthorized crossings. This led to the construction of the Southwestern border wall from 8 to 10 feet up to 30-feet, including regions in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Despite the increase in wall height and coverage, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encounters continue to rise and reached nearly 2·4 million encounters in 2022. As physicians at the frontlines, we have endured an unintended consequence of our new border infrastructure: a record number of traumatic injuries from border falls. Given the political, economic, and violent conditions across the globe driving migration and the current U.S. political climate, we anticipate this to only get worse.
In this Viewpoint, we provide an overview of the worsening trend of traumatic injuries across the United States–Mexico border after its recent fortification and height extension to 30-feet. We further characterize the international factors driving migration and the current U.S. policies and political climate that will allow this public health crisis to progress. Finally, we provide recommendations involving prevention efforts, effective resource allocation, and advocacy that will start addressing the humanitarian and economic consequences of current U.S. border policies and infrastructure.