---
format: "aidr-story-markdown/v1"
id: "af663fb37f5db847ecfddb62757eef0cc8803fde0739f863f78a405f301aa8a8"
canonical_url: "https://aidr.today/af663fb3?lang=en"
title: "How we made the first comprehensive map of deaths along the US border’s “virtual wall”"
lang: "en"
requested_lang: "en"
available_langs: ["en","vi"]
translation_fallback: null
fallback_fields: []
published_at: "2026-09-21T12:00:00.000Z"
category: "Research"
topics: ["mit-tr-ai","border-surveillance","safety","ethics","surveillance","investigation","regulation","anthropic"]
source_urls: ["https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1144161/border-towers-surveillance-methodology/","https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1144164/border-towers-surveillance-policy-recommendations/","https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1144890/roundtables-the-deadly-failures-of-the-virtual-border-wall/"]
summary: "We analyzed whether nearly 4,000 migrant deaths occurred within sight of the US government’s surveillance towers. Here’s our methodology."
---

# How we made the first comprehensive map of deaths along the US border’s “virtual wall”

> [Open the canonical story](<https://aidr.today/af663fb3?lang=en>)

**Published:** 2026-09-21T12:00:00.000Z
**Category:** Research
**Topics:** mit\-tr\-ai, border\-surveillance, safety, ethics, surveillance, investigation, regulation, anthropic

## Summary

We analyzed whether nearly 4,000 migrant deaths occurred within sight of the US government’s surveillance towers\. Here’s our methodology\.

## Sources

- [Story source](<https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1144161/border-towers-surveillance-methodology/>)
- [Story source](<https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/21/1144164/border-towers-surveillance-policy-recommendations/>)
- [Story source](<https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1144890/roundtables-the-deadly-failures-of-the-virtual-border-wall/>)