Thousands of Mexicans try to cross the border to reach the United States each year
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From Correspondent Harris Whitbeck

MEXICALI, Mexico (CNN) -- In the desert near Mexicali, where temperatures can reach 100 degrees in the shade, winds are hot, animals are few and vegetation is sparse, rugged and dry.

But for hundreds of people who hang out in the border town, awaiting their turn to confront the desert, it is nothing more than one more obstacle in their attempts to better their lives.

"The idea is to get to the other side, [to] go make dollars," explains one migrant, Melvin Hernandez.

So far this year, more than 200,000 people have been caught trying to cross into the United States. Reinforced U.S. border patrols between Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego have pushed many of them east, to the forbidding desert near Mexicali and the treacherous waters of the Trans-American Canal that guards the border.

"It looks placid, but it is very strong," Hernandez says. "It can fool anybody."

So far this year, more than 100 people have died -- either drowning in the currents or dying of dehydration in the sun.

And some authorities say that figure might be too low -- that on any given day, up to 700 people might be wandering through the sand dunes in intense heat. Not all of them make it, and the desert could be hiding the bodies of those who failed.

Border patrols post signs to warn of the Mexicali desert dangers

The governments of Mexico and the United States have reinforced their patrols in the Mexicali desert, trying to warn people of the dangers.

"We're more trying to detect their entry and making sure they make it through the dangerous areas safely and finding them before they are in any real dangers," said Capt. Tracy Warner of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Mexican officials say they can't stop people from trying to leave their country.

"There are no illegals for Mexico," said Gerardo Delgado, a Mexican immigration official. "They are simply trying to better their lives."