SAN ANTONIO — It has been nearly a year since the deadliest human smuggling incident in the U.S. happened in San Antonio.
Sunday, people gathered on Quintana Road to honor the 53 migrants who died in the back of a tractor-trailer last June.
“We will never forget their names,” Organizer Angelita Olvera said.
Angelita Olvera has been volunteering her time to maintain this make-shift memorial for the past 12 months.
“I always feel emotional," Olvera said. "I come almost every other day."
On June 27, the 53 migrants were discovered in the back of a sweltering seem-truck with no access to food or air conditioning. Most of the victims were dead by the time authorities found them.
“I know it’s hot, but it was hotter in that 18-wheeler than it is here,” Olvera said. “It’s just a little sacrifice that we have to also do.”
Author Sandragrace Martinez has been documenting the stories of the victims.
“They were 53 humans, they’re not illegals, they’re not asylum seekers, they’re not migrants, they’re human,” Martinez said.
Martinez said it is important to remember, these migrants were searching for a better life.
“The common denominator that I have found from this event, the event in Brownsville, the event in El Paso, is that for these migrants, hope is a habit and that is something I can enable and we are enabling by remembering,” Martinez said.
Two men have been indicted in connection with the 53 deaths. Both have been in federal custody without bond since their arrests.