Brooks County: New law could speed the identification of dead undocumented immigrants

Action taken during this past legislative session could help speed the process of identifying the hundreds of undocumented immigrants who’ve perished while trekking across the rugged ranchlands of Brooks County. Under one bill, the Texas Forensic Science Commission is required to establish methods of extracting DNA from bodies found within 120 miles of the South Texas border.

Lawmakers also approved new funding to assist the creation of DNA profiles of the immigrants’ remains. Hundreds of the unidentified victims are buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Falfurrias. Last year, for the first time, more undocumented border crossers – 115 – died passing through Brooks County than the Arizona desert. 30 bodies have already been recovered this year, according to the McAllen Monitor.

The measure addressing the immigrants deaths was written by Edinburg Representative Terry Canales and was a last-minute amendment to a bill sponsored by McAllen Senator Juan Hinojosa.

Wednesday 30 June 2015

http://www.kurv.com/local/24892