On Monday, at least 53 people were found dead in the trailer of an 18-wheeler in an attempted human smuggling operation from the southern border.
Officials have identified at least 37 of those who died but have not yet identified the others.
Among the dead were 27 people from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador.
The driver was arrested after pretending to be one of the migrants.
On Tuesday, President Biden was asked about what is being called the largest mass-death incident related to human trafficking in US history.
When a reporter asked him about the incident, he simply walked away and refused to answer the question.
WATCH:
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the deaths, saying that “Human smugglers are callous individuals who have no regard for the vulnerable people they exploit and endanger in order to make a profit.” He vowed to hold the attackers accountable in a Tweet.
I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of life today and am praying for those still fighting for their lives. Far too many lives have been lost as individuals – including families, women, and children – take this dangerous journey.
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) June 28, 2022
Texas Governor Greg Abbott blamed Biden’s refusal to enforce immigration policies for the tragic incident.
“These deaths are on Biden,” he tweeted. “They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law.”
At Least 42 People Found Dead Inside Truck Carrying Migrants In Texas.
These deaths are on Biden.
They are a result of his deadly open border policies.
They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law. https://t.co/8KG3iAwlEk
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 28, 2022
Biden called the event “horrifying and heartbreaking.”
Experts say that Biden and Mayorkas’ immigration policies are largely responsible for the immigration crisis we are currently facing.
“Mayorkas has eviscerated our interior immigration enforcement apparatus—meaning that once an illegal alien enters our country, they become virtually impossible to remove,” said Matthew Tragesser at the Federation for American Immigration Reform