Identifying migrant remains in South Texas: policy and practice

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Public Health

Background:

• Texas, particularly Brooks County, faced a crisis in migrant deaths, exceeding Arizona's in 2012.
• Inadequate resources in Brooks County hindered adherence to laws for investigating unidentified human remains.
• Pre-2013 practices involved burying unidentified remains without DNA sampling or burial location recording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the challenges in locating migrant burials in South Texas.
• To describe the difficulties faced by families of missing persons.
• To detail collaborative strategies for facilitating identifications of unidentified migrant remains.

Main Methods:

• Community outreach and geophysical surveys identify cemeteries requiring exhumation.
• Archaeological methods are used for exhumation and burial documentation.
• Remains are processed at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State for analysis and identification.

Main Results:

• Forensic analysis includes cleaning remains, washing personal effects, and skeletal examination.
• Data, including personal effects, is uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).
• DNA samples are submitted to the University of North Texas for the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Conclusions:

• Challenges exist in obtaining family DNA reference samples for CODIS due to international residency or discomfort with law enforcement presence.
• Collaboration with non-governmental organizations is vital for collecting missing persons reports and family DNA samples.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential for the successful identification of migrant remains.