SAN ANTONIO – Federal officials report border crossings at a historic low, but one San Antonio migrant advocate said the fear among some people seeking asylum is still high.
Fred Schellenberg, the executive director of the American Organization for Immigrants, said recent deaths and detentions across Texas have concerned the people he helps.
“The calls that we’re getting are tense,” Schellenberg said.
The questions he hears most are not about immigration policy — they are about everyday life.
“Can I go to the grocery store? What about my kids going to school?” Schellenberg said. “It’s permeating fear.”
Last week, six bodies were discovered inside a train boxcar in Laredo. A day later, Bexar County officials found a seventh body believed to be connected to the same smuggling operation.
>> What we know about 6 people found dead in a Laredo boxcar, another found near Bexar County railroad
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) say the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is continuing to investigate the case alongside local authorities.
Schellenberg said news about events like this reach people across the world quickly.
“Incredibly fast,” he said. “When there are events like this in Laredo, it’s transmitted almost immediately.”
Despite the dangers, Schellenberg said the underlying drive to migrate does not disappear.
“It is not going to go away,” he said. “People are always seeking an opportunity.”
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