After a record-breaking year of migrant crossings, Eagle Pass is applying for a grant to help pay for therapy and other mental health services.

The crisis unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border since last year has spilled over into the fire engines and ambulances of a small Texas town.

First responders in Eagle Pass say they are overwhelmed and increasingly traumatized by what they see: parents drowned or dying, their children barely holding onto life after attempting to cross the Rio Grande.

The emotional strain on firefighters and EMTs has grown so great that city officials have applied for a state grant that would bring in additional mental health resources for front-line workers.

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    In many parts of the US we create paths for unwanted animals to cross freeways safely. Most are tunnels under, but sometimes it’s a crosswalk over. The idea is that no matter what we do, the animals are going to find a way to cross. We create the paths(at significant expense)so as to avoid unwanted death of the animal, and also to prevent people from hitting them at speed, causing additional injury, death, or at minimum financial burden.

    I feel we should either treat these people like humans and help them (legalize their immigration), or treat them like animals and do at least a little bit to prevent them from causing further harm and financial burden. Treating them like terrorists seems to be the worst option.

  • rdyoung@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I’m sure the spikes and other barriers that were put there by the state of texas have nothing to do with the number of deaths.

        • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          Not sure what you mean. How does the experience of the first responder, and their responsibilities on a call, relate to political or other border patrol concerns?

            • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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              4 months ago

              Right but why is this being discussed related to an article about their mental health? They had nothing to do with creating the barrier. The top comment implies the terrible border is some surprise detail, or that they are involved with that. They are just trying to help people

              Specifically the “nothing to do with” as if it’s a gotcha statement.

              • doctorcrimson@lemmy.today
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                4 months ago

                The top level comment is sarcastic. The barriers put up by US Conservatives are causing death and injury in the Rio Grande river crossing. Their comment is bringing attention to that. The article is about the mental health of first responders who are dealing with mental trauma because they are the ones who have to remove the dead or dying bodies from the river.

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    If you think untangling children’s corpses from razor wire is stressful, just imagine how stressful that was for the children.

  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
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    4 months ago

    It’s honestly like living with a teenager.

    Texas: FUCK YOU we’re our OWN SOVEREIGN NATION and can KILL MIGRANTS IF WE WANT TO AND WE’LL SECEDE IF YOU TRY TO STOP US

    Also Texas: Can I have some money pls, this is upsetting what’s happening

    (And yes I know the city officials and first responders are not the same people threatening to secede. I’m not even saying they shouldn’t have the money to try to provide good services to these additional victims of the carnage. I’m directing the sarcasm at the teenager-minded higher up officials who would be FUCKED without the aid and support of the wider US government they rely on so heavily, while at the same time they’re constantly shitting on.)

  • dustyData@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Who did that joke? The one were not only is the US going to invade your country, destroy your infrastructure, install a puppet government, and burn your kids and women alive in mass bombings. They’re also going to return 10 years later to make movies about how murdering your people made their soldiers feel sad.

    I feel like this is a rehash of that.

  • jaschen@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    I’m not sure which comedian said this, but its something like if you came from a shitty country and had to risk your life to come into America, you’re automatically more American than most Americans that just came out of a pussy at the right time and place.

  • TheOakTree@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    Something something Prevention Through Deterrence.

    The federal government does not care.

    • doctorcrimson@lemmy.today
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      4 months ago

      The Federal Government is directly at odds with the Texas National Guard’s perimeter in the river and on the sides of the channel, but whether or not what he is doing is illegal has been stuck in the court system since last year. The divide between the two groups has grown so large that Texas secessionists are more outspoken than any point in the last century.

  • spyd3r@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    We have these things called border crossings, where anyone can cross safely and legally, maybe they should try crossing there instead of entering the country illegally.

    • deaf_fish@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      Yup, totally good and useful to kill people with deadly infrastructure over this. I think we should set it up so that people going in the exit doors of a businesses should fall into a river with barbed wire and die too. The world would be a better place. /s

    • Gabu@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Maybe we should consider conservatism illegal and star throwing rightwingers on barbed wire

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    After a record-breaking year of migrant crossings

    Hard no. Lemmy has told me this isn’t happening and it’s all GOP bullshit. There is no crisis. It’s not happening. Fingers in ears.

    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters

    Maybe liberals will listen if I frame it as a humanitarian crisis, which it fucking is. These are real human beings, who are experiencing real suffering. And there’s a shitload of them that our government and infrastructure is not able to cope with.

    Point fingers and place blame as you please, but we have a situation that needs solutions yesterday. I don’t have answers, but neither am I playing these people as fake political pawns.

    • APassenger@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Almost always, perception lags reality.

      We sit around and tut tut about climate change, upheavals droughts and uncertainties. What do we expect to happen, then?