(Center Square) – Since Governor Katie Hobbs took office in January, the number of illegal aliens entering Arizona has increased, primarily in the Tucson sector of US Customs and Border Protection. Illegal border crossings are also rising further west, due to several factors, including Texas expanding its border security efforts, so law enforcement officials say Arizona can expect higher numbers. says.
Arizona’s 378-mile shared border with Mexico is patrolled by two CBP Sector agents in Tucson and Yuma. Combined, agents from both departments arrested 36,296 foreigners last month, up from 33,193 in January.
They reported 19,698 escapes last month, up from 13,968 in January, according to preliminary data Center Square obtained from Border Patrol agents. This includes only Border Patrol data and excludes Field Operations Office data.
The Tucson sector’s 262 shared border miles with Mexico extend from the Yuma County line to the Arizona-New Mexico state line. Nearly 182,000 square miles of mostly desert land in the Yuma sector stretches from California’s Imperial Sand Dunes to the Yuma-Pima County line.
Broken down by sector, agents in the Tucson sector arrested 25,371 foreigners and reported at least 18,603 escapes last month, according to data.
This is up from January, when 21,300 foreigners were arrested and 13,257 escapes were reported.
That’s even up from a year ago, according to preliminary data previously reported by The Center Square. In February 2022, Tucson Sector agents reported he arrested 22,295 foreigners and reported 16,488 escapes. According to data, in January 2022 he had 18,461 foreign arrests and 13,250 reported escapes.
In contrast, numbers in the Yuma sector declined across the board. Last month, agents arrested 10,295 foreigners and reported 1,095 escapes, according to data. He was down from 11,893 arrests in January, but up from his 711 escape reports in January.
In February 2022, the Yuma sector reported 22,893 arrests and 3,134 escapes. According to data, January 2022 saw 25,070 arrests and 2,516 escapes.
According to Border Patrol data obtained by Center Square, about 816,000 foreigners were arrested or fled law enforcement after entering Arizona illegally throughout the 2022 fiscal year.
Gotaways refer to persons known and reported to enter the United States illegally, primarily between ports of entry, who intentionally escape capture by law enforcement and do not return to Mexico. They never arrive at ports of entry claiming asylum or claiming other immigration and are mostly single military-age men considered dangerous, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol said. Director John Modlin testified before Congress last month.
“Our southern smugglers are very well organized and resourceful,” he said, referring to the Mexican cartels. We have to pay the criminal gangs,” he said. “The migrants we encounter are completely camouflaged by smugglers before they cross the river. Most flee and fight agents to avoid unrest. felons, many of whom pose a serious threat to our communities.”
Illegal border crossings have increased further west, including in the Tucson sector, which reported the largest number of escapes last month, due to several factors, including Texas’ expanded border security operations.
As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to step up vigilance and the Texas legislature prepares to allocate nearly $5 billion to border security efforts, Hobbs has the most negative impact on local law enforcement. Jobe Dickinson says he has vowed to stop funding the deaf Arizona border patrol. The President of the Border Patrol Alliance told Center Square.
“Governor Hobbs, who is now in Arizona, recommends cutting funding for border strike forces that help local law enforcement complement the responsibilities of the border patrol. A simple decision is made to start shifting more and more to Arizona,” he said.
As we expand our business in Texas, Dickinson said: They will choose the path of least resistance in order to lose as little product as possible,” referring to the smuggling of people and drugs from Mexico to the United States.
Since March 2021, Operation Lone Star’s multi-agency efforts in Texas have resulted in an unprecedented 352,000 arrests of illegal aliens and more than 25,000 criminal arrests, resulting in more than 23,000 arrests, according to state data. of felonies have been reported.
