Lindsay Beyerstein interviewed John Carlos Frey by email.

1. Why have border-crossing deaths increased even as the number of illegal crossings has declined?
   
   In 2007, the Bush administration began fortifying the U.S.-Mexico border resulting in over 600 miles of new border barriers as well as 8,000 more Border Patrol agents. This increased border security infrastructure forced migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border to find alternative routes.  Instead of a one or two day trip across the border, migrants were now walking for five or six days. This changing of migration routes through treacherous terrain was part of a larger U.S. strategy to deter illegal immigration.  As border security tightened, the likelihood of dying escalated.
   
   
2. In earlier years, those who died crossing the border were likely to be in their twenties, but today the average victim is older. Why is that?
   
   The Obama administration has ramped up interior enforcement of immigration laws. They have deported nearly two million undocumented immigrants, many with strong ties and family members in the U.S. These deportees are desperate to reunite with their families. What used to be young able-bodied migrants crossing the border in search of a job have been replaced by people who have been living in the U.S. for years trying to get back to their families, hence we now see older people attempting to cross the border.
   
   
3. Some of the research for this episode was carried out by journalism students in New York. Describe what they did and how you ended up working with them.
   
   The phenomenon of migrant death is difficult to quantify and study. Many different organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border deal with the processing of those who have perished. There is no central database and no comprehensive look at migrant death border-wide. We solicited the journalism students to contact agencies, morgues, coroners and humanitarians to compile as much data as possible. We wanted to look at the issue of migrant death from a border-wide perspective — not just deaths in one state or one region. The students were able to determine the fact that the incident of death was increasing and the age of the individuals was also increasing.
   
   
4. Has Border Patrol been investigated for its handling of the Alfonso Martinez Sanchez case?
   
   If the Border Patrol has been investigated or is currently being investigated, the public is not privy. Internal documents are next to impossible to obtain.  A reporter can't even get documents that pertain to training or standard protocol when it comes to interior investigations or procedure. In addition, the U.S. Border Patrol is investigated by itself without any responsibility of oversight, transparency or accountability.
   
   
5. Martinez said he felt pressured to waive his right to an immigration hearing before being deported to Mexico. Is this a common tactic?
   
   On June 4, 2013 the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government for the systemic practice of coercing migrants to waive their legal rights to remedies other than deportation. 
   
   
6. Crossing is the latest in a three-part series. Can you say a bit about the series as a whole?
   
   “Crossing the Line” was a three-part series taking an in-depth look at what it means to "secure the border."  As comprehensive immigration reform legislation progresses in Congress, increased border security appears to be the deciding factor whether or not the proposed legislation will become law.  Since 9/11 the U.S. has employed a militaristic approach to dealing with illegal immigration.  We wanted to take a look at what effect this ramping up of border guards and infrastructure has had on the migrants trying to cross, on the people who call the border region their home and whether or not it was actually effective. What we found was a U.S. border security system that is poorly managed, questionably effective and in violation of many long-standing national and international laws.