Tragedy on an icy Oklahoma interstate - A cautionary tale of unlawful immigration

Most of the nation is preoccupied with other things, especially those of us who are in the grip of Ice Storm '07, but we should not forget what happened on I-40 early Sunday morning. An eastbound 1998 Chevy Astro minivan stuffed with 12 Mexicans hit an icy patch, crossed the center median and slammed into an oncoming tractor-trailer rig. Seven of the occupants of the minivan are dead and four, as we understand it, are in the hospital. One was treated and released into the custody of federal officials.

Under no circumstances can this report be anything other than a tragedy, but it is even more so because of the legal status, of lack thereof, of most if not all of the occupants. The passengers were being smuggled through the United States, from Nogales, Arizona, a border hub for the unlawful trafficking of persons entering the U.S. without permission, to North Carolina.

It requires little imagination, only a bit of time and compassion, to get a glimpse into the lives of those aboard the overloaded Chevy. It is quite possible, even probable, that the passengers had been promised jobs and new lives in prosperous North Carolina. Perhaps they had spent months raising enough money to purchase their passage. Maybe relatives who already had made the trip had sent them dollars via ATM or money-grams. Connections had been made with "coyotes" who would get them across the border and then provide transport to their new home.

A nine-year-old minivan, if it is not properly maintained, can have awkward driving characteristics on dry pavement, let alone ice. Overloaded with twice the number of passengers it is designed to carry at maximum, the minivan was an accident waiting to happen. Did the people who took their money think about this? Did their profit margin require only one vehicle? Did they even care?

You can imagine the anxiety of the passengers: the fear of discovery, the excitement of an adventure into a strange nation, the fear that destination's end might not be the better world that was promised. It is difficult to imagine, however, that the passengers would suspect that their transportation arrangements would be a one-way ticket to death.

What took place just before 4 a.m. is not just a tragedy, it is a crime against humanity. Every person who takes money for the smuggling of human beings into this, or any other country, with little or no regard for the laws that safeguard the orderly transition of civilization, shared in the guilt.

For every would-be do-gooder who proclaims that immigration without the benefit of legal entrance is a good thing, or a forgettable and forgiveable act, we would point to the mangled metal of that minivan, and the mangled bodies of the dead and injured, and ask: Can you sleep at night knowing that your advocacy of an unlawful smuggling trade has led to these deaths, and the deaths of scores of others during the past year?

Five people were taken to medical facilities in Elk City. It is highly unlikely that any will have insurance that will cover the cost of their care, and less likely they will have the resources to pay for it themselves. Those costs will result in higher prices for Elk City area residents. No doubt many citizens would be willing to defray the expense of those poor people, but many as well may be increasingly unable to foot their own bills for emergency care.

Fortunately the driver of the tractor-trailer rig was not injured, but his appointed rounds for Sunday were ended. What kind of cargo was he hauling? Perishables badly needed somewhere in the Southwest? Insurance will cover the loss, but those costs will be averaged out among policyholders. What if the trucker had been hauling propane, or necessary, but deadly, chemicals? What if the vehicle on the opposite side of the Mexican minivan had been another minivan carrying a family to a winter ski trip in New Mexico, and loss of life occurred?

This is one incident giving us a glimpse into the cost of illegal entry into our country. One vehicle out of how many in each day? A dozen? A hundred? More? No one seems to know.

How much is the total cost to our economy, our culture, the organized machinery of society, on an annual basis? How much more will the cost be?

A legal immigrant will be counseled. A legal immigrant will be advised to heed American traffic laws, and not trust individuals who will put profit over safety concerns. A legal immigrant will study the laws, languages, culture, geography and customs of his or her new land, and be less likely to become a burden, or a statistic.

One must balance compassion with common sense. The victims of Sunday's accident would have been far better off to have been made wait in line for their turn to emigrate. The rush to enter the U.S., abetted by those who make money in assisting them and those citizens (and politicians) who oppose strict border enforcement, is neither compassionate nor sensible.

We are profoundly saddened by the tragedy, the senseless loss of life, and the equally tragic lack of concern of many Americans toward realistic solutions of the border crisis.