Will Drop in Border Apprehensions Mean Fewer Migrant Deaths This Summer? Rafael Carranza - The Arizona Republic
go to original April 22, 2017

U.S. Border Patrol Agent Daniel Hernandez discusses the dangers of the desert for migrants who cross illegally from Mexico to the U.S., during a walk near the border in Nogales. (azcentral.com)

Higher temperatures usually means more migrants will attempt the perilous trek through the U.S.-Mexico border. It also means more emergency calls, rescues, and even deaths.

This year, however, is less predictable as the Trump administration has noted a significant decrease in people attempting to illegally cross the border.

Regardless, officials in southern Arizona are getting ready for the hot months ahead and the danger they pose to unauthorized immigrants.

"The numbers have fluctuated for us... as far as the number of deaths out here," Border Patrol spokesman Steven Passement said this week. "Right now we're at a lower number than years past, but our rescues have really gone up substantially over the past fiscal year."

Agents, especially the BORSTAR rescue group, are gearing up for a spike in calls, which usually begins around this time, he said. On Thursday the agency launched its Border Safety Initiative, a media campaign targeting potential border crossers and highlighting the heightened risks of attempting to cross in the summer.

Last year, Border Patrol rescued more than 1,400 migrants in the Tucson Sector, which covers Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pima counties. The majority of rescues took place during the warmer months.

But compared with last year, agents in the Tucson Sector and across the Southwest border have apprehended far fewer people in the first three months of the year. The Trump administration credits the new president's emphasis on immigration enforcement.

Read the rest at The Arizona Republic

Related: High Temperatures, Getting Lost Are the Main Dangers Along US-Mexico Border (EFE)

Related: Mexican Smugglers Are Charging Up to Six Times More in the Trump Era (The Daily Caller)

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