Gujarati Family Froze At Border: Harsh Patel On Trial For Human Smuggling

Photo: Sherburne County Sheriff

India-West News Desk

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The tragic deaths of a Gujarati family attempting to cross the U.S.-Canada border have taken center stage as the trial for Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, and his alleged accomplice, Steve Shand, 50, began in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Both men, accused of operating a human smuggling network, have pleaded not guilty.

The Tragic Incident
On January 19, 2022, Canadian authorities discovered the frozen bodies of Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben, 37, their daughter Vihangi, 11, and their son Dharmik, 3, near Emerson, Manitoba. Jagdish was found clutching his toddler, who was wrapped in a blanket, just yards from the U.S. border. The family succumbed to hypothermia in subzero temperatures, their journey ending in tragedy.

Alleged Smuggling Network
Prosecutors say Harshkumar Patel, an Indian national who used aliases like “Dirty Harry,” ran an operation that recruited migrants in India, arranged Canadian student visas, and smuggled them into the U.S. Shand, a Florida resident, acted as a transporter, earning $25,000 for five trips across the snowy border.

Court documents reveal chilling exchanges between Patel and Shand. In one text, Shand reportedly expressed concern about the extreme cold, asking, “They going to be alive when they get here?” The operation’s dangers were underscored by another incident the same night as the Patel family’s deaths, when U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted five Indian nationals walking in the snow for over 11 hours. The migrants, who spoke Gujarati, were headed to an unstaffed gas station in Minnesota for pickup.

Legal Proceedings and Defense
The trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim, comes nearly three years after the tragedy. It is expected to last five days at the courthouse in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, close to where the incident occurred.

Patel, who was arrested in Chicago earlier this year, faces charges of conspiracy and transporting illegal migrants. His attorney, Thomas Leinenweber, has emphasized his client’s innocence, stating, “He has faith in the justice system of his adopted country and believes the truth will come out at trial.”

Shand, arrested on the same day the Patel family was found, was intercepted driving a rented 15-seater van near the border with two undocumented migrants.

Broader Implications
This case underscores the growing risks faced by migrants seeking better opportunities. In 2022, over 14,000 Indians were apprehended at the U.S.-Canada border, highlighting the desperation and danger involved in such journeys. Indians are among the largest group of illegals in the US. The Narendra Modi government is being urged through official and unofficial channels to crackdown on illegal operators in India. The Biden administration recently flew back a plane load of illegals who had been apprehended back to India.