Brooks County is a county in Texas, United States, and Falfurrias is its county seat. Its population was 7,076, approximately 88% Latino per the 2020 census. It is one of Texas's poorest counties. and the King Ranch, both in the east. The county's largest employer is the Falfurrias Border Patrol interior checkpoint on US 281, built in 1994 outside the city limits and significantly enlarged in 2019.
"Death Valley" for Migrants
Brooks County is "the nation's busiest corridor for illegal immigration;" It was called a "Death Valley" for migrants in 2014. The terrain is flat, sandy, and hard to walk on. The lack of landmarks can be disorienting, causing some migrants to walk in circles. Summer, with bright sun and high temperatures regularly exceeding , can lead to dehydration, sunstroke, and death. Those attempting the trip with smugglers can be subject to mistreatment, including ransom and rape.
Illegal immigrant death is also a significant issue. Between 2009 and 2018, over 600 bodies were recovered. Most are not identified. Consequently, Brooks County has been described as "the biggest cemetery in America.” According to Brooks County Deputy Sheriff Benny Martinez, the multiple of found to unfound bodies is probably 5 to 10 times. Consistent with these estimates, the number of reported missing persons exceeds the number of bodies recovered.
The drain on local services is significant. The Border Patrol does not answer 911 calls or recover or bury dead bodies, so that falls on the county. The Brooks County Sheriff's Department, which once had 12 deputies, now has two, who work 48 hour weeks in aging vehicles with no health insurance. The Ed Rachal Memorial Library, Brooks County's only public library, is only open one day a week as of 2021.
In contrast, the Border Patrol has in its Brooks County facility, the largest border checkpoint in the country, modern equipment, dozens of 4-wheel drive trucks with infrared night-vision capabilities, a car wash, a helicopter, a blimp, a canine team, and 300 agents.
- Humanitarian groups have set up water stations and emergency beacons on some Brooks County ranches. Consequently, not all ranchers allow the water stations on their property. Those that do, reduce the likelihood that their property will have dead bodies.
- The water stations and signs in the fields have their geographical coordinates, so migrants calling for help can tell rescuers where they are.
- Due to property damage, some ranchers have stopped using fencing or placed ladders so the migrants can climb over the fences without damaging them. One rancher, however, electrified his fencing with a 220-volt electric line.
Measures against the migrants
- Fourteen water stations were stolen in 2016.
- The South Texans' Property Rights Association, with over 600 members, tracks which landowners permit water stations and which do not.
Major highways
- 25px U.S. Highway 281
- 25px Interstate 69C is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 281 in most places.
- 20px State Highway 285
- 20px Farm to Market Road 755
Adjacent counties
- Jim Wells County (north)
- Kleberg County (northeast)
- Kenedy County (east)
- Hidalgo County (south)
- Starr County (southwest)
- Jim Hogg County (west)
- Duval County (northwest)