Indian family of four froze to death while trying to cross US-Canada border

In January 2022, the Patels were traveling on foot to reach a van driver in northern Minnesota, navigating the cold farm fields as the temperature dropped to minus 36 Fahrenheit (minus 38 Celsius).

Two men, accused of running a smuggling ring on either side of the border, are currently awaiting trial. Harshkumar Patel, an experienced smuggler nicknamed “Dirty Harry”, was coordinating things from Canada while Steve Shand, a driver recruited by Patel, was on the US side.

The two men, whose trial is scheduled to start Monday, are accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation feeding a fast-growing population of Indians living illegally in the U.S. Both have pleaded not guilty.

On the last trip, on January 19, 2022, Shand was to pick up 11 more Indian migrants, including the Patels. Only seven survived. Canadian authorities found the Patels later that morning, dead from the cold.

Dharmik Patel, the 3-year-old son of Jagdish, was found frozen in the arms of his father, wrapped in a blanket.

Jagdish Patel, 39, grew up in Dingucha. He and his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s, lived with his parents, raising their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi, and Dharmik. Local news reports said that both Jagdish and his wife were school teachers.

Experts say illegal immigration from India is driven by everything from political repression to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to navigate legally.

Smuggling networks were glad to help, charging fees that could reach $90,000 per person. In Dingucha, Jha said, many families afforded that by selling farmland.

(With inputs from AP)