The real cost of illegal immigration is becoming even more horrific and gruesome as a human-trafficking crime scene was discovered in a Wal-Mart parking lot in San Antonio, Texas. Nearly 40 people — presumably non-citizens attempting to enter the United States illegally — had been stuffed into a tractor-trailer and driven through the sweltering heat of Texas. There was no air conditioning and no water. Eight were found dead from heat exposure.

The tractor-trailer is seen with an air conditioning unit called a “Thermo King,” but the unit was not functioning, according to MySanAntonio.com, which also reports:

Officials said about 30 more people were found inside the truck at 8535 S. Interstate 35 and Highway 16 and transferred to area hospitals for treatment. The driver of the truck, identified as James Bradley by several sources, was immediately detained by police and faces state and federal charges.

According to several news reports, the driver of the truck approached a Wal-Mart employee and asked for water. The employee became aware of the gravity of the situation and alerted police, probably saving the lives of many people in the truck who had not yet succumbed to asphyxiation or heat exhaustion. This is one case where a Wal-Mart employee did the right thing and probably saved a dozen or more lives.

According to MySanAntonio.com, San Antonio Fire Chief stated, “Our paramedics and firefighters found that each patient had heart rates over about 130 beats per minute and were very hot to the touch.” It seems clear they would have soon died if they were not extricated from the tractor-trailer.

Another reminder of the high human cost of illegal immigration and Obama’s enticement for more people to come

All this is a stark reminder of the human cost of illegal immigration, and much of the blame belongs squarely on the shoulders of former President Barack Obama who practically rolled out a red carpet, enticing more people to attempt illegal immigration activities across the U.S. South where heat-related deaths are increasingly common. My prayers go out to all those who suffered and / or died in this horrific incident, and I hope no one else is forced to suffer through such awful treatment after being convinced to try to enter the United States illegally.

Democrats have routinely offered economic enticements to encourage illegal immigration by promising entitlement benefits to illegals, including free education, free health care and even voting rights stemming from the widespread voter fraud that’s openly practiced by the Democrat party. These enticements are just a few of the many that encourage non-citizens to take extreme risks in an effort to enter the United States illegally. As we are seeing now, some of those illegal immigration attempts end in tragedy and the loss of human life.

The blame for all this rests squarely on the Democrats who openly encourage illegal immigration as a key strategy for increasing their voter base. This is why America needs stronger border protections, strong voter ID laws and enforcement of existing laws against illegal immigration. Otherwise, if the status quo continues, more dead bodies will turn up with increasing frequency as human smuggling continues to sneak illegals into the United States at great risk to human life.