ABC-7 Xtra: Bound for U.S., migrants take dangerous risks jumping on trains
EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border protection is seeing a dangerous trend with migrants jumping on trains coming in from Mexico to enter the U.S.
ABC-7 Xtra Sunday edition went to the Union Pacific rail yards to see just how dangerous jumping onto trains can be, and to find out how much migrant traffic CBP officers are seeing in the railroad yards.
Officers say many migrants unfamiliar with the lay of the land and safety measures are getting hurt on in and around those trains. Officers also showed ABC-7 where they have found migrants hiding, taking us through the entire process, from the time the train enters the U.S. until the moment it stops.
CBP officials indicated migrants hide under the train, in between trains, and on top of the trains. One of the most dangerous places migrants choose to hide is inside what's called a "clown hole," which is a small area on each end of a train car.
CBP Chief Angel Hernandez pointed to just how cramped that space is and highlighted the dangers.
"Look how close they are to the disks. I mean, and then when its moving, one wrong step, or if they fall or lose balance, they can seriously get injured." said Hernandez.
Host Saul Saenz asked CBP officers what the most unlikely place is where they have found migrants hiding.
They responded by saying that they found a mother and her children hiding inside a very unlikely spot. What is it? Find out the answer by watching ABC-7 Xtra Sunday edition in the video player at the top of this article.
