{"id":252722,"date":"2019-07-18T06:59:30","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T13:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=252722"},"modified":"2025-05-08T20:01:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T03:01:07","slug":"us-border-patrol-finds-new-ways-to-rescue-stranded-migrants","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/us-border-patrol-finds-new-ways-to-rescue-stranded-migrants","title":{"rendered":"US Border Patrol Finds New Ways to Rescue Stranded Migrants"},"author":941,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[81,1491],"tags":[366862,911,366872,23512],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478762],"esri_blog_department":[478192],"class_list":["post-252722","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-capability","category-mobility","tag-border-patrol","tag-humanitarian-aid","tag-migrants","tag-search-and-rescue","esri-blog-category-humanitarian-response","esri_blog_department-gis-for-good"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"The US Border Patrol\u2019s Missing Migrant Program works to locate and assist lost migrants who face a harrowing journey in harsh conditions.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"Key Takeaways\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Cataloging asset locations helps find missing migrants quickly.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>An enterprise approach speeds data sharing.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Data science provides the means to analyze operations and optimize asset placement.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Sweltering heat and harsh treatment by human smugglers (known as coyotes) often leaves migrants sick, dehydrated, lost, and desperate for help in the scrubby and desolate ranchlands of the Rio Grande Valley at the southern tip of Texas.\r\n\r\n\u201cOnce the coyote sees that somebody is falling behind, they\u2019ll tell the group to keep moving, that they have someone else coming behind to help them,\u201d said Elizabeth (Liz) Gamez, supervisory border patrol agent at the Rio Grande Valley Sector of US Border Patrol. \u201cThey don\u2019t. They just leave them there to die.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe US Border Patrol\u2019s Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas responds to an average of seven 9-1-1 calls per day for its coverage area of 34,000 square miles. Getting to the caller in time can prove difficult, due to vast distances and because individuals can be very hard to find in such remote places.\r\n\r\nWidely spaced cell towers in this rural area mean a location trace is only accurate to a radius of 20 miles around the tower. There just aren\u2019t enough towers to triangulate and achieve the 30-meter radius location trace that\u2019s possible in urban settings. Without a better means to find the caller\u2019s location, agents have to scour the land, flying search patterns from aircraft with on-the-ground patrols each searching grid sectors."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<strong>Tracing Cellphone Caller Location<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDispatching 9-1-1 calls to landline phones is a simple operation of matching a caller\u2019s phone number to an address database to quickly display location details at a call center. Determining the location of a cellphone requires the ability to sense the signal.\r\n\r\nThe Federal Communications Commission has set <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/consumers\/guides\/emergency-communications\">Enhanced 9-1-1 rules<\/a> that seek to improve wireless 9-1-1 location. However, the position detection is only as good as the wireless signal available in a location.\r\n\r\nIf a caller is only in range of one tower, the location returned is as large at the 20-mile reach of that tower, so that\u2019s a 50-square-mile search area. If the caller is within range of two towers, that area improves greatly. If the caller is within range of three towers, position can be triangulated and the range drops to a radius of 30 meters in urban areas where cell towers are closest together.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"To improve its success helping those in need, Rio Grande Valley Sector recently rolled out the Missing Migrant Program. Staff installed 187 metal placards with an image of a phone and the word auxilio (help) pointing to 9-1-1 and a unique code identifying the ubicacion (location). Those calling for help can read off the code to let agents know exactly where they are.\r\n\r\n\u201cSearch and rescue takes top priority,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cIf we get a 9-1-1 call with individuals in distress, we\u2019ll send all rescue assets to the call even if we\u2019re tracking a narcotic load down the trail.\u201d\r\n\r\nResponse is swift when the Border Patrol knows where to go. A specialized unit, called the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit (BORSTAR), uses Black Hawk helicopters to find people in trouble. BORSTAR members are emergency medical technicians (EMTs) trained in rescue techniques. The team also includes search and rescue dogs that work off leash to track the scent of missing people, an integral element in the Rio Grande Valley where dense brush can hide a person just yards away. The specialty units are supported by agents in the field in all-terrain vehicles and on horseback."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":252912,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<strong>Missing Migrant Program<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe US Border Patrol\u2019s Missing Migrant Program, which got its start in July 2016, has four objectives: prevention, location, identification, and reunification. The identification piece often involves a forensics specialist to find identifying clues from human remains.\r\n\r\n\u201cI have a total of 51 deaths so far this fiscal year, and that doesn\u2019t even include the seven that I lost on Friday,\u201d Gamez said in late May 2019. (This number includes Border Patrol reports as well as forensic support provided to other agencies).\r\n\r\nFrom the start of the federal fiscal year in October 2018 to the end of May 2019, a total of 223,263 migrants were apprehended and processed in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. Like many US border crossings, the sector has seen a dramatic spike in the number of undocumented migrants detained. In May alone, there were 49,855. More people attempting to cross the border, means an increase in casualties.\r\n\r\nMigrants must often place their fates in the hands of smuggling organizations that treat them more like cargo than human beings, hiding the truth about the harshness of the journey.\r\n\r\n\u201cThey\u2019re paying coyotes to take them to the border and are told it requires only an hour or two of walking,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cInstead, it takes two or three days across rough and rugged terrain, through thick brush, where there is no water, and it\u2019s extremely hot and humid\u2014 this past weekend the temperature hit 112 degrees.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":252932,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<strong>Improving Location Information<\/strong>\r\n\r\nTo counteract the extremes of increasing numbers and intensifying summer heat, the Missing Migrant Program has ramped up its efforts. In addition to the metal signs, it placed eight rescue beacons with instructions for migrants in need to push a button for help. When the beacon is activated it sends an alert to the Operations Center so a rescue crew can respond.\r\n\r\nAfter the placards were placed, Gamez contacted local utilities (electric, gas, and telephone) companies that have unique identifiers marked on each of their poles, wind turbines, and pipeline segments. She collected the location of thousands of utility assets but needed assistance to put all of those locations in a system where they could be mapped and shared. Gamez reached out to the US Border Patrol\u2019s Data Science Division in Washington, DC, for help.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe set up a solution using Esri\u2019s Portal for ArcGIS that allows agents to enter any one of the unique codes and see it on a map,\u201d said Rodney Washburn, associate chief of the US Border Patrol\u2019s Data Science Division. \u201cIt also provides them with the quickest route to get where they need to go.\u201d\r\n\r\nGamez continues to add more landmarks to the map. Thinking about the many parks along the border, she reached out to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and received 1,000 points with locations and unique tags for all the signs it maintains. In addition to large asset inventories, individual agents in the field log the location of landmarks to a field sheet that they submit.\r\n\r\n\u201cNow, my maps have the locations of more than 22,000 landmarks, so there\u2019s a high chance of locating individuals,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cJust yesterday I got a call, and after I was able to calm her down, I asked the caller to look around. She told me what she could see, and with those details we were able to find and rescue her. Unfortunately, they tend to call 9-1-1 when it\u2019s a little too late, and her husband who was with her didn\u2019t make it.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":255502,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<strong>Spreading the Missing Migrant Program<\/strong>\r\n\r\nIn addition to mapping landmarks, the application created by the Data Science Division allows for shared access. Before, Gamez was the only one who could upload data, and if she was out or too busy, it would take a while before locations of new placards or assets could be shared.\r\n\r\n\u201cNow, it\u2019s going to be more of an automatic update,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cMy ops and operations planner will have the most up-to-date information, because as soon as new information is added to the map, we\u2019ll all be able to see it.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe new system also allows the Border Patrol to share with other Department of Homeland Security agencies. This broader sharing provides a real-time understanding of operations and facilitates communication without a conversation.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re working to roll this out to the Del Rio and Laredo sectors in Texas, and Tucson has expressed an interest,\u201d Washburn said. \u201cWe\u2019re creating a playbook so that any sector can create a copy of this solution.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":255512,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"\u201cWe\u2019re all experiencing the problem of migrants dying on this dangerous journey,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cThey\u2019re just desperate to get a better life or they\u2019re running away from something.\u201d\r\n\r\nIf more money gets allocated to the program, additional placards and beacons will be added. The Data Science Division has already conducted spatial analysis to determine the best locations.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe ran a suitability model against the locations migrants have been found to calculate where additional placards should be placed,\u201d Washburn said.\r\n\r\nThe portal will also help the Missing Migrant Program prioritize where to respond first, and to send the appropriate rescue assets for the terrain.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe are busy, they\u2019re coming and they\u2019re not stopping,\u201d Gamez said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get the message out that smugglers have zero compassion and that migrants should know when to stop, because it's their life and that's what counts.\u201d\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nExplore the many ways that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/industries\/public-safety\/solutions\/real-time-situational-awareness\">GIS supports public safety with real-time situational awareness<\/a>.\u00a0View a presentation below from the Esri <a class=\"es-nav-title-link\" href=\"\/en-us\/about\/events\/nspss\/overview\">2019 National Security and Public Safety Summit<\/a>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"youtube","youtube_video_url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/w5GD1HQMnv0"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<strong>Launching the Data Science Division<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>The US Border Patrol\u2019s Data Science Division was created in May 2018, with the idea that a central capability at the headquarters level would expand skills, share best practices, and provide solution templates to every sector.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe plan to document every step we take to create a solution, why we took it, and when we get to a crossroads with two choices to make, we want to document why we went one way versus another,\u201d said Dane Hammack, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, USBP Data Science Division. \u201cIf another sector pulls a solution off the shelf and improves upon it, we want them to then put it back into the library to share with everyone.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn addition to targeted solutions, there is also an interest in improving the documentation of daily operations to better communicate the dynamic nature of border operations.\r\n\r\nCongress has been asking for more effective metrics and measures about the border, and that request was part of the conversation that funded the new division.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe have the same challenge as a police department does, because just because you\u2019re capturing a lot of people doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re doing a good job,\u201d said Rodney Washburn, associate chief of the US Border Patrol\u2019s Data Science Division. \u201cWe\u2019re working to enhance our analytical capability, and to do operational research on what\u2019s taking place at the border.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Data Science Division is also looking at suitability modeling to determine the best positions for tethered aerostat radar systems that track the movement of cars and airplanes, cameras, and even additional fencing or wall.\r\n\r\n\u201cOne of the problems with the border is we can't say that we know every threat out there, who they are, and when or where they may cross,\u201d Washburn said. \u201cWe do know that if they cross at a specific area, we have a set probability of making an apprehension. If that probability makes a lawmaker uncomfortable, then they need to provide us with more resources.\u201d","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>US Border Patrol Finds New Ways to Rescue Stranded Migrants<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The US Border Patrol\u2019s Missing Migrant Program works to locate and assist lost migrants who face a harrowing journey in the harsh scrublands of south Texas.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/us-border-patrol-finds-new-ways-to-rescue-stranded-migrants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US Border Patrol 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He helps organizations deploy GIS to improve preparedness and leads the global Disaster Response Program, which provides GIS support during disasters. A former appointed member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Advisory Council in the US, Lanclos currently serves on the International Advisory Board of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) for Japan and the XPRIZE Wildfire Advisory Board. He has also served as Missouri\u2019s first geographic information officer (GIO), GIS advisor for the Governor\u2019s Homeland Security Advisory Council, and Director of State and Local Government at the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) Foundation. 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