Tucson, Arizona (KGUN) — Nearly 4,000 immigrant bodies have been found in southern Arizona since 2000. During the 2022 federal fiscal year, 179 bodies were recovered.
Alvaro Enciso is a non-profit artist. Tucson SamaritanHe makes a wooden cross and places it where the body was found.
“As you know, about a third of the 4,000 people whose bodies were found here are unidentified,” Enciso said.
He is determined to put a cross wherever a corpse is found.
“I’ve put on about 1,500 crosses over the last 10 years. I work slowly,” he said.
Enciso visits the southern Arizona desert every Tuesday and installs at least three crosses each time.
“So these crosses that I wear every week are like the story of my own life. You know, I came here as an immigrant. I decided to mark it,” says Enciso.
He places each cross in a hole he dug and fills it with concrete and rock. After everything is set, the Tucson Samaritan volunteers lay down the rosary and pay their respects.
They then return to their car and drive to the GPS marker where the next body was found.
“If a migrant is found dead in the desert, the first thing to do is call 9-1-1. We will send people to place a GPS mark where the person was found as part of the body protocol.”
Each month, the Pima County Coroner’s Office sends new information about immigrant deaths to nonprofits. humanitarian borders.
Humane Borders records that information on maps marking the locations of remains found since 2000.
Around 2000, the number of deaths increased significantly. Pima County coroner Dr. Greg Hess describes the increase year-over-year.
“There were about 77 deaths in 2001, about 146 deaths in 2002, and an average of 165 deaths per year since 2002. And obviously it fluctuates over time.”
In the 2021 federal fiscal year, that number peaked.
“June 2021 was very busy, very hot and very dry. The biggest benchmark is related to weather.”
To prevent death, the Samaritans of Tucson provided water and other supplies that could save lives.
“Humanitarian aid is never a crime. So we help people. We give them food, we give them water to avoid suffering. Because I know,” said one volunteer Gail Kokorek.
Gail Kocourek witnesses what happens at the border twice a week. She remembers seeing and talking to many immigrants, often looking for a lifeline. She has an encounter she says she will never forget.
“I found him on the side of the road. His arms were covered in bruises. He was from Guatemala and wanted to be with his sister in the south. But he had no food or water.
She remembers having a friend translate over the phone. They translated that the man wanted her to call the border patrol.
“When I realized my dreams were gone, he sat in the back seat of my car, his head on my shoulder, crying. He was only 23 and wanted to be with his family. It was very painful for him to cry.The border guards came and left with him.He walked away crying.It made me cry,” explained Kocourek.
From people crossing openings to people climbing walls, she’s seen a lot. Despite how difficult it is for her to witness, she said, she continues for a reason.
