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The Border Patrol in Tucson has established a missing migrant team for those seeking family or friends who have disappeared trying to cross the border illegally.
In a press release, Border Patrol officials said they are encouraging families to call them first about missing people to save time in coordinating search, rescue and recovery operations.
That may not work for people worried about the legal status of their missing loved ones, Pima County's chief medical examiner said.
“When we’re talking about individuals who may not be in the country legally, families are often reluctant to reach out to law enforcement to file a missing person’s report,” Greg Hess said.
Hess and his office are responsible for remains of more than 800 people that have been collected since 2001. They are unidentified and presumed to be migrants.
Hess' office gets many phone calls from Mexican and Central American families looking for missing loved ones.
“They will look for missing person’s on their own," he said. "They’ll contact hospitals, humanitarian groups or the Medical Examiner’s Office to ask if we may have received the remains of their loved one.”
The last place families want to call is the Border Patrol, he said.
At the very least, Border Patrol officials said in their press release, families seeking information on missing loves ones should contact their respective consulates, which will work with the Border Patrol.
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