‘They going to be alive when they get to the US?’

The sentencing of two men in a US court this week for a 2022 border crossing tragedy has delivered justice, but will it serve as a deterrence?More than three years after four members of a Gujarati family — Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishali, 37, and their children, Vihangi, 11, and Dharmik, 3 — were frozen to death in a snow-covered field along the US-Canada border, the human smuggling pipeline that led them there continues to thrive.Despite global headlines and a high-profile federal trial in Minnesota, illegal migration from Gujarat has not slowed. In fact, the cost of taking these dangerous routes has doubled, and new tragedies have since followed the same deadly script.On May 28, a federal court in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, sentenced Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, a 29-year-old Indian national from Gujarat who had been living illegally in Florida under the alias ‘Dirty Harry’, to 10 years and one month in prison for running the smuggling ring that led to the Patel family’s death.His co-conspirator, Steve Anthony Shand, a 50-year-old US citizen from Florida, received a sentence of six years and six months, followed by two years of supervised release. Both had been convicted in late 2023 on four counts of human smuggling, including causing serious bodily injury and endangering lives.They are the only people punished for a crime that has since been repeated multiple times and to horrific consequences. medium nocaptionhttps://youtu.be/CuyReCNNBxw?si=5nbCXwZxrlYK-QzUWhat the court foundThe trial laid bare a smuggling network exploiting the desperation of Indians — particularly from rural Gujarat — seeking a better life in the US. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that the operation recruited families through informal agents, facilitated their entry into Canada on fake student or visitor visas, and then arranged for them to cross into the US on foot through dangerous, unguarded borderlands.Patel, known as ‘Dirty Harry’ in court documents, coordinated the operation — sourcing forged documents, managing logistics, and recruiting drivers. Shand, one of those drivers, was brought into the operation at a Florida casino.They helped smuggle at least five groups of Indians — mostly from Gujarat — into the US via Minnesota and Washington states during the winter of 2021-22. Each migrant was charged up to $100,000 (₹83 lakh). In one recovered message, Shand asked Patel: “They going to be alive when they get here?” The answer, for one family, was no.How the Patels froze to deathFor Jagdish Patel and his family, the journey turned fatal on the night of January 18, 2022.The family had joined a group of 11 Indian migrants instructed to walk across the frozen fields near Emerson, Manitoba, into the US. They hoped to be picked up and driven to Chicago, where they had contacts.But strong 80km/h winds, and with temperatures dropping to minus 36°C, the family got separated. They were later found ice-encased and lifeless, with Jagdish reportedly clutching his son under a shared blanket. A post-mortem confirmed death by hypothermia. Seven others survived and were taken into US custody. medium nocaptionhttps://youtu.be/NfJ1tDJ1Dww?si=4DGUea10YMktgqp5How the case was investigatedThe investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that specialises in transnational crime. Agents described the smuggling ring as “well-organised, profit-driven, and knowingly reckless”.“This callous disregard for life will not be forgotten,” said Jamie Holt, special agent in charge at HSI St. Paul.Harsh Patel had entered the US illegally after multiple visa rejections, and according to court documents, made thousands of dollars from these smuggling runs. He paid Shand $25,000 per trip. Prosecutors revealed that the two men had discussed harsh winter weather conditions, yet pushed ahead.Shand’s lawyers tried to block the use of graphic photos of the frozen bodies, arguing they would prejudice the jury. But the judge ruled they were necessary. Patel’s defence claimed the case was based on circumstantial evidence — but the jury convicted both men.How the tragedy was felt back homeThe deaths thrust Dingucha, a small village near Kalol in Gandhinagar district, into global focus. Though not formally confirmed by the Indian government, local residents and relatives identified the family as being from this village of over 3,000 people, many of whom have migrated abroad.Dingucha has benefited from NRI remittances that have helped build a school, temple, health centre, and panchayat hall. But the root causes of migration persist. “Not just Dingucha, all of Gujarat faces this issue,” said Amrut Patel, a US-based restaurateur from the village. “People aren’t getting salaries that match their education. So they think — why not go abroad and earn more?”Many families fund the journey through loans or help from relatives abroad. Middle-class households often sell assets or mortgage land to pay for a “package deal” involving fake visas and illegal entry. Why the tragedy hasn’t deterred othersThe trial delivered justice — but the flow of migrants hasn’t stopped. If anything, it’s intensified. According to Gujarat Police, over 4,000 people from the state have tried to enter the US illegally in the past three years. In fact, the cost of migration has doubled: From ₹30-35 lakh per person in early 2022 to ₹65 lakh per individual and ₹1.25-1.5 crore for a family of four today.These illegal routes, often referred to as “donkey routes”, involve fake documents, overland crossings, and pickup drivers. They are now more expensive, more secretive, and more dangerous.Despite headlines and outrage, Gujarat’s CID (Crime) has failed to dismantle the networks. One man, Bharat Patel alias Bobby, was arrested in 2022 but later released for lack of evidence. A few arrests have been made under Operation Mekla, but the broader smuggling ecosystem remains intact. Not an isolated caseThe Dingucha deaths are part of a larger pattern. In April 2022, six Gujarati men — also travelling on forged IELTS certificates — were rescued from near-drowning at the US-Canada border. In December 2022, Brijkumar Yadav, a 32-year-old from Kalol, died while trying to scale the Trump Wall on the US-Mexico border with his child in hand. His wife and son survived.According to the Pew Research Centre, over 7.25 lakh undocumented Indians currently live in the US — the third-largest group after Mexicans and Salvadorans. In 2023 alone, the US Border Patrol apprehended more than 14,000 Indian nationals trying to enter illegally.While the Mexico-US border is heavily surveilled, the Canada-US border — particularly in remote areas of Minnesota and Washington — is more porous and perilous, especially during winter.What the ruling means for usThe US trial exposed the greed and recklessness behind one fatal crossing. It held two men accountable. But it has neither ended the hunger for migration, nor dismantled the smuggling industry that feeds it.As prosecutors told the court: “This case is not just about crime. It’s about lives lost because people were treated like cargo, not humans.”