A family of four from Gujarat, India, froze to death while attempting to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a blizzard, drawing renewed attention to the risks of illegal border crossings and human smuggling operations. Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, and their children, aged 11 and 3, perished just meters from the border near Emerson, Manitoba. Investigations revealed they were part of a larger smuggling operation orchestrated by Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, accused of arranging perilous crossings despite warnings of extreme weather.
Court filings link the operation to a human trafficking network that smuggled Indian nationals into Canada via student visas before transporting them to the U.S., often for exploitative labor. The family’s tragic journey, motivated by dreams of a better life, underscores the growing reliance on such dangerous routes amidst tightened immigration policies.
