ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the reasons why governments might undertake programs to reduce death among illegal migrants. It explores trends in illegal migration within the broader context of immigration policy, and traces the awareness of migrant deaths in the national conscience. The chapter argues that situational crime prevention (SCP) could provide a useful framework for coordinating a systematic approach for dealing with migrant deaths. It describes the emergence of the problem in the US, the political environment in which it exists and the US government's efforts to deal with the problem. The chapter also explores the scope for the use of Situational Crime Prevention in reducing the scale of the problem. The exact number of illegal aliens currently residing in the United States is unknown. In fulfillment of US Congress directives to intensify enforcement of immigration policy, the US Border Patrol implemented several focused enforcement campaigns along the Mexico border beginning in the early 1990s.
