One year ago, 53 migrants died after suffocating to death in an 18-wheel trailer in San Antonio. It was the deadliest migrant smuggling case in modern U.S. history.
A makeshift memorial still stands along Quintana Road with 53 crosses. Each cross has a victim's name, a flag representing their home country, and a space for people to leave candles and other remembrances.
Their names are all written on a mural next to the crosses, and behind it stands a sign that reads, Sueño Americano — The American Dream.
A group of local volunteers who have been working to maintain the memorial held a prayer vigil on Sunday and braved the 100-degree heat to remember them.
In the year since the tragedy, dozens more migrants have been found in the back of sweltering train cars in South Texas as many have chosen a dangerous path in the absence of a legal pathway to citizenship.
"Fifty-three lives were needlessly lost one year ago in a horrific, preventable tragedy resulting from a cruel immigration system that has wholly dehumanized and criminalized those who seek safety and freedom within our borders,” Dolores K. Schroeder, CEO of RAICES — among the first immigrant legal services agencies on the scene of the tragedy one year ago.
“Tragedy follows cruelty — the cruelty of a system designed to keep people out. We grieve this loss of life with their families, loved ones, and our San Antonio Community, Schroeder said. “This horrific incident continues to serve as a reminder of the need for urgent federal legislation that protects the lives of individuals seeking a better future.”
