Arizona Morgue Prepares For Migrant Deaths

In Southern Arizona, medical examiners and federal immigration agents are preparing for another year of dozens of deaths in the desert as people try crossing the border illegally. This year, officials say, they’ve developed a map showing exactly how many people have died in their attempts over the years. The massive door to the freezer slides open at the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office. The freezer was built to handle the overflow of bodies brought here, people who died from heat stroke and dehydration as they tried walking through the desert. It’s used in the summer. So far this year 47 migrants have died. "Typically in June we’ll go up to 20. July in 2010 we had 55,” said Dr. Gregory Hess, the medical examiner. Every year, about 240 people crossing the border into Arizona are found dead. Some of those people are never identified...more